The Warrior Kings of the Grail
by gatosicarius
Summary: A man is pulled from a time of endless war to a time where peace seems to be a reality instead of a long held dream. However, what will a man who's known nothing but war do when the fighting stops? Can he learn to live a life without war?
1. Chapter0

Author Notes:

Okay everyone it seems my latest obsession has been with Fate. And as a result of the Omake I posted like... yesterday I couldn't stop thinking about our favorite Space Marine Captain and how he would react to being in the 5th Holy Grail war.

So here we are lads! Enjoy!

Chapter 1: The Curtain Rises

Captain Antaeus Cassiel stood on the teleport pad of the Strike Cruiser along with the Intercessor and Aggressor squads of his company. Their prey was disabled now, an older pattern of Strike Cruiser that was home to the warband of the Flayed Skin. Foul Word Bearers that relished in skinning their victims alive to adorn their armor and even to be used as clothing. He scowled as the thought of the red clad monsters brought back memories of a burning world.

He shook his head and double and triple checked his battleplate. He was outfitted in his standard MKX Tacticus plate, with his specially issued Sunwrath plasma pistol and his relic power sword, _Defender of Calth. _

Gallus, the Librarian assigned to his company walked up to his Captain, worry plaguing his features. The young Librarian lacked much of the experience some of his battle-brothers possessed, but had proven himself a reliable Space Marine and practitioner of the psychic, particularly with warnings of the future.

"Brother-Captain I must advise against this. I have felt… omens. I have seen you in my meditations. You were facing something… monstrous. Alone. We should just atomize that ship and let the warp take their damned souls."

Cassiel sighed. The young Librarian still had much to learn. He placed his hand on Gallus' shoulder guard in a reassuring gesture.

"Brother, I understand. But you must understand as well that there may be civilians, civilians from Ultramar, aboard that ship. They give everything to us in the hopes we can keep the monsters at bay. We must do the same in kind."

The young, almost boyish, Librarian still looked concerned. He didn't fear for the future, even though he was so young he was still a Space Marine, but he could still be disturbed by what he saw. The images were still burned into his mind. He saw his Captain, his armor rent and blood flowing freely from his many wounds, holding a golden broadsword. The sword itself seemed to be trying to kill him with its overwhelming power. His vision faded as he saw his Captain facing a foe of unreal size and swinging the blade with the help of an unknown figure.

Cassiel let Gallus go and readied himself next to Veteran Sergeant Scipio.

The servitors along the wall began twitching as the Tech Priests prepared the teleportation pad.

"Preparing for translation. Preparing for translation. Ten seconds. Nine seconds. Eight seconds."

The servitors droned on. Cassiel ignored them and drew his blade and pistol. It was highly likely they would be set upon within moments of entering the ship.

"Three seconds. Two seconds. One second. Preparing for translation. Translating."

The pad lit up with warp light and in a flash the space marines were gone. The red light next to the pad flashed four times before a yellow light flashed.

"Error. Error. Error. Correcting. Correcting."

The light flashed green.

"Strike force delivered. One casualty."

Cassiel had always hated teleportation. From the stories his Primarch has told of the Great Crusade, that was a trait they shared. He felt his soul being pulled upon by those that called that realm of madness home. But before he reached the crippled traitor ship, he felt himself being pulled away.

"Oho? What have we here? You're a curious one… I've been to your universe a few times and I thought your kind had long since died here. I wonder…." He felt the words in his skull before he was pulled violently from all he knew. The last he saw of his brothers was a fierce firefight.

"Wait…. My brothers…" he replied, his mind losing focus as the rolling tides of the warp battered his sanity. He seemed to be floating in nothingness.

"Oh they'll be fine. That Scipio fellow will succeed you and lead them well." The voice said with confidence.

"I, however, have another plan for you young man. But first…"

The man pulled a scabbard from his coat.

"I picked this up from a version of a man who died before he could put it to use. I think you're going to need this more than me. Besides… you're going to need it to summon your partner and comrade." He smiled solemnly before actually _pushing_ the scabbard into the Space Marine's chest.

Cassiel attempted to resist, his mind screaming at him to tear the strange bearded man apart before he could finish. But he could not move.

"There. Now off you go. And good luck. I'll be watching."

All Cassiel saw was darkness as the light faded.

The school courtyard was dark and cold. Precisely what you would expect for the city of Fuyuki in late winter. However, not all was calm.

There were craters and damage that had occurred mere minutes before as two legends had faced one another. One was a figure of Celtic myth, an artist with a spear, and the other was an unknown. Supposedly a warrior of the bow, the strange man had used twin swords and sheer cunning to match the Child of Light.

Shirou Emiya had been unfortunate enough to witness the skirmish and had paid the price when the man in blue had seen him, chased him, and killed him. Or so he thought.

He had awoken minutes before, his chest throbbing with pain, unsure as to whether he was alive or dead. He sat up and grimaced, the pain turning sharp as he breathed more. He finally got to his feet and stumbled down the hallway, his hand clutching a red pendant as if his life had depended upon it.

He somehow made it to the bottom floor and to the outdoors, the chilled air making him cough more as it burned his lungs. He was shaken from his stupor as an impossibly bright light caught his attention. His eyes widened at what he saw appear from it after a loud BANG.

A giant. A knight clad in blue armor with strange symbols carefully painted on the plate. He held a sword in one hand and a strange pistol in the other with a rich, white cape draped across his massive frame.

Shirou couldn't see his face due to a helmet of a strange design, though still similar to Western styles of helmet, but it wasn't scary or unsettling like some patterns he had observed. In fact, it looked almost heroic.

Until the giant spoke.

The loud bark was unsettling, he guessed it was an effect of the helmet.

"You. Boy. Show yourself."

Shirou Emiya gulped and rounded the corner.

When Cassiel appeared he was confused, concerned, and felt surprisingly ill. His kind never paid attention to minor things such as nausea but it coupled with the headache and feeling of intense disorientation did nothing to help.

He took in the surroundings after a moment of forcing down his stomach's contents back down.

Sometimes nutrient gruel wasn't the most palatable of sustenance even for his kind.

Cassiel swept his surroundings when the nausea subsided. His helmet electronic and sensor suite was more advanced than most Marine helmets with advanced vision modes, auspex array, and even a tactical cogitator that informed him of the ebbs and tides of battle.

It was the last part that concerned him the most currently.

He was actively sweeping all known Imperial tactical channels and found…. Nothing.

Only background, low level civilian channels.

This in and of itself was odd, as he had been chasing traitors in a system with no habitable planets.

He exhaled and holstered his weapons when he saw he was in no immediate danger. He could see the remnants of a recent battle but… no blood, no bullet casings, no craters, and again, the lack of a tactical network.

There was, however a lone signature on his auspex.

He spotted the boy almost immediately. He was young, roughly 15 Terran standard, and was pale. He could spot a blood stain on the child's chest.

"You. Boy. Show yourself." He commanded as nicely as caution would permit.

Shirou slowly approached the giant. He was unsettling to look at to say the least. Not in a monstrous way that one would look at a fantasy beast, but in the sheer unnatural grace the giant possessed. His armor must weigh several dozen kilos but he moved as if it wasn't there and when he did move it was accompanied by a low, teeth jarring growling. Shirou stopped when the hand not resting on the giant's sword hilt bade him to stop.

"Halt." He called, apparently as softly as his helmet would allow.

"What is your name?"

Shirou gulped and calmed his nerves. He was going to be a hero of justice so he had no choice other than to conquer his fears.

"Emiya. Emiya Shirou. Pleased to meet you." He said with as much confidence as the situation would allow.

The giant seemed… amused at his shaky introduction and attempt at manners. Not in a cruel sense but an impressed one.

"Huh… manners are not something I'm used to." He commented. "I am Cassiel. Antaeus Cassiel."

Cassiel took a knee so as not to tower over the adolescent. "Mr. Emiya, would you please inform me as to where I am currently? I seem to have… taken an wrong turn somewhere."

Shirou tilted his head in confusion. "Um… Fuyuki City. In Japan."

Even if the man was a magi, he should at least be aware of where he ended up if he was using his abilities, whatever they may be.

The giant was silent. "This may sound odd, but which planet and which segmentum am I currently?"

Gone was the gruff politeness now. The man seemed… troubled.

"Huh? Segmentum? Um…. As for the planet, it's Earth. The year is 2004."

The giant was still.

_"What?!"_

Was his only reply

Cassiel saw the youth flinch at his exclamation. But Cassiel's mind was working too fast to care.

In a sense, he wasn't quite panicking. Panicking involved fear and he knew no fear.

Rather he was…. Disturbed.

_Theoretical: The teleportation had a mishap. _

_Practical: The Warp does not follow the linear concept of time or place._

_Theoretical: The hallucination was real._

_Practical: I was sent here for a purpose._

_Theoretic-_

"Um!? Excuse me?"

Cassiel was shaken from his internal turmoil as if struck across the head by the youth. He had a worried expression, which struck the Space Marine as… incredibly ironic.

"My apologies. I… have much to think on."

He cleared his throat, embarrassed at his lapse.

"Mr. Emiya."

"Just Emiya please."

He nodded.

"Are you injured?"

The young man seemed to have forgotten something and then looked down at his torn shirt.

"Oh. Um. I'm fine. Probably."

Cassiel raised his eyebrow and then dismissed the issue.

"Very well. I shall be off then."

He stood, towering over the youth again, and turned to go… somewhere.

Shirou watched the giant walk away with uncertainty. He was sure the giant would be okay, but he clearly needed help didn't he? Even though he knew he should be cautious, his nature wouldn't let him just… abandon him.

He sighed and cursed.

He wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if he let this go.

"Geez…"

He called out.

"Mr. Cassiel. If you need somewhere to stay, I have room."

He regretted the words almost as soon as they left his mouth. The giant actually stopped. Shirou gulped and hoped he hadn't inadvertently offended the giant in blue. Time seemed to drag on forever until the giant, with seeming reluctance, turned to him. There was an almost imperceptible nod as the giant turned and walked back to him.

"I… appreciate the hospitality. Will your… family mind? I'm rather conspicuous."

_Was that a joke?_

"Oh. Uh. I live alone. You won't be an issue."

"….very well. I shall not forget this."

Shirou shifted uncomfortably while shaking his head and began to walk home.

"It's no big deal. Just… we will be quick. As you said, you kinda stand out." The giant said nothing and merely followed Shirou.

The trek home was largely uneventful for the pair, save for some very surprised cats, and they eventually made it to the Emiya estate. Shirou sighed as he unlocked the gate and latched it shut behind his 'guest'.

"Um…" He looked at the giant's footwear as he went to kick his shoes off at the front door.

That would be a problem.

"Hold on let me show you around back. There's a guest house there I'll prepare."

The giant cocked his head.

"Oh. Um. I saw where you might have trouble removing your… boots? It's no big deal. You're a guest."

"…Very well." Cassiel shrugged, seemingly lost in thought.

They walked to the courtyard in the back and even Cassiel was impressed. While not anywhere close to as ornate as the Fortress Hera on Macragge, the courtyard had a welcome air to it.

Almost peaceful.

He stopped in the courtyard and stared into the stars above. Somewhere out there was Macragge and Calth.

His home and second home were out there in the vast void and he would likely never see them again. In fact… he would likely only ever see Terra for the rest of his days. And a Terra largely at peace at that.

The thought was… sobering for a man who had known only war for the better part of two centuries.

What would he do? What could he do?

He could and would not forsake his oaths to the Chapter and to his yet unborn Primarch nor could he forsake the oath he gave to the nonexistent Imperium and still undiscovered Emperor.

He sighed as a strange sense of doubt was overcoming him.

"Um… are you okay?"

Cassiel was snapped from his reflection.

"Yes. My apologies. You have a… nice home."

The young man seemed embarrassed and scratched the back of his head.

"It's nothing. This was just my old man's place. He left it to me after he died five years ago."

Cassiel grunted. "My… condolences for your loss."

"No, no it's fine. It was a peaceful end and he was smiling."

Cassiel nodded and an awkward silence fell over the pair.

"Well, I'll go get the things for the guest house. It should be warm there soon once the heater does it's thing."

And without another word, the youth hurried inside to get some bedding supplies he assumed.

"Not that I need to sleep all that much." He lamented.

Before his melancholy thoughts could return, he heard a cry from inside the home. It wouldn't take a transhuman soldier to recognize it was one of fear.

All other thoughts left the Space Marine's troubled mind. He knew what to do now. The possibility for the theoretical left and made room for the practical.

Cassiel rushed into the home, heedless of the door he just ripped off the hinges, and subconsciously thankful the ceiling was so high for the home.

He burst inside to see the young man holding his shoulder, now newly dripping blood. He looked and saw the culprit.

The man wore a blue body suit with bits of plate on the shoulders. His hair was blue and his eyes were as red as blood. In his hands was a blood red spear that radiated a sense of foreboding.

For how flashy his appearance was, the man seemed both bored and slightly amused at Shirou's makeshift weapon.

Cassiel narrowed his eyes and placed his hand on the blade at his hip as anger flashed in his mind.

He was still a Space Marine.

"Oh? Did the kid make a friend after he 'died'? Good grief. Looks like you'll have to be silenced too my exceptionally large friend."

Cassiel calmly drew the blade in his right hand.

He was a Defender of Humanity.

"Many have tried and now they lay dead. Now you shall pay for your crime of attacking an unarmed child."

And he knew no fear.

The man in blue raised his eyebrow as the not so subtle threat. Before kicking his spear into a ready position.

"Oh? Can you make good on those threats Big Man?"

Cassiel stood at the ready and pressed the activation tune on the sword.

"I can show you when I cut your smug head on your shoulders, welp."

The man huffed a laugh and lunged forward, only to be surprised when the blade deflected the spear and immediately went in for a strike if his own.

The man jumped back, an amused grin on his lips.

"Heh. It seems you're not all talk then. Let's see what you can really do."

Cassiel growled and charged the man, his blade stabbing out in a manner that befit the close quarters of the room.

Truthfully, it was too close for either the sword or the spear to be much use and the spear user knew it.

He ducked out of the way of the blade, the edge of the power field cutting his cheek as he dodged away to Cassiel's right, attempting to flank the space marine.

Cassiel, however, had faced enough agile opponents in the Drukhari and reacted instantly with a punch that would have shattered reinforced carapace armor like it was a thin sheet of ice.

Would have, had it connected.

The man jumped back at the last moment and hopped out the door to the courtyard.

Cassiel followed after ensuring Shirou was in good enough shape to not die in the near future.

The man was waiting for him in the chill night air as Cassiel stepped into the courtyard. A soft breeze caused his cape to whip around him as his sword's crackling power field was the only sound aside from the growling of his warplate.

"You ready Big Man? I think I won't hold back on you this time."

Cassiel scoffed. "Your arrogance is astounding welp. Come to me and die."

"HAH! Been there and done that."

And with that the battle began in earnest. Both parties moved with inhuman speed and grace. It was quickly apparent, however, that Cassiel was ever so slightly slower and not as dexterous as the man with the spear. Even if he held the strength advantage, which he did, it would matter little if he couldn't land a blow on the man.

He gritted his teeth in frustration and swung again, this time fast enough that the man had to block instead of dodge.

The blades rang as the spear somehow held together under Cassiel's prodigious strength and the matter destroying power field.

"Heh… not bad Big Man. Not bad at all." He grunted under this strain of keeping the power sword from splitting him in half.

"But can you keep up with this?" His grin was positively feral now.

Then the man was just…. Gone.

He felt the shockwave a moment later and only just barely was able to block the spear thrust that was aimed for his neck.

He grunted with the effort.

The man sent a flurry of blows into Cassiel's guard and Cassiel found that more than a few found their way past his guard.

He growled in annoyance and and struck back as fast as his blade would allow. The man seemed to flow around his strikes like water around rocks until Cassiel made an infinitesimally small mistake.

He overextended by no more than a handful of centimeters.

But it was enough for the spearman.

He glowed with a strange energy and struck Cassiel upon his shoulder pauldron hard enough to send the Space Marine flying several meters into a shed.

Cassiel grunted with pain and moved in time to see the spear land within inches of his skull. He kicked the man in the chest hard enough to send him flying before reaching for his blade.

He cursed, the blade had been lost in the rubble. The spearman had recovered and spit a mouthful of blood onto the frozen grass, so Cassiel drew his combat knives, each as long as a short sword to a mortal.

He was in a tough spot and he knew that. Without the sword's reach he would be cut down by the spear's superior reach.

_Guilliman's breath if I just had my blade or any blade. If I just had a sword._

He was about to meet his end then, he knew that. He felt no fear because it was foreign to him. Captain Antaeus Cassiel would meet his end with blades in hand.

Though he did have one regret.

The child who had been kind enough to offer him somewhere to gather his thoughts wouldn't be far behind him.

He growled in frustration before readying the blades.

_If only I had a damned blade!_

Fate, it would seem, had a plan for him other than death at the hands of a strange man.

There was a bright light, impossibly bright, just a meter away from him under the remains of the shed.

It was so bright, his auto senses had to dampen considerably to keep him from being blinded by it. He felt as if his soul was being tugged on by whatever was in that light.

And then the light cut abruptly.

When the auto senses reset, he couldn't believe his eyes.

Where the blinding light once was, there was a woman clad in resplendent armor not all to different from his own in color and ornamentation. She was slightly shorter than Shirou, but she had a much more severe countenance. When she opened her eyes Cassiel saw a kindred spirit. A veteran of combat, the cold eyes of one who had led armies against impossible odds, but also the underlying fire of a warrior that would never accept defeat.

She stared into the crimson eye lenses with her own emerald eyes and asked a simple question with a voice full of authority and confidence.

"I ask of you, are you my master?"

Cassiel stared at the young woman. Normally his auto senses would be decided whether the being in front of him was a threat and drawing an aiming reticule over their torso. But much like the man in blue, the helm's senses were baffled with static. He looked at the self contained cyclone she held in her hands. He knew whatever was baffling his helmet was also hiding the weapon. At best, he could tell it was a blade.

"OI! You never said you were a magi big man!" Shouted a familiar voice. The man in blue seemed more wary now, but his grin was impossibly huge.

Cassiel spotted his blade and recovered the priceless relic before he flicked the activation rune on the venerable blade. He had no idea what manner of warp trickery was at foot but the important part was the woman thought of him as an ally. And strangely he felt he could trust her… for now at least. His finely honed instincts still screamed at him to be wary and that this woman was far more dangerous than he ever thought possible.

"I'll go right. You go left. We must make haste, there's an injured civilian in the home."

He charged the man in blue before his new ally could object. The man reacted and attempted to parry the blow that Cassiel was aiming for his throat but before the spear could touch the power field around the edge of the blade, Cassiel felt his cape flow as the wind picked up.

No.

Not the wind.

In his peripheral vision he saw her.

She could _move_.

Her speed was on par with the blue man's and he held no doubt she could match him in pure speed.

The man ducked and wove out of the way of the arcing blades by leaping backwards. However, this only bought him moments of reprieve at best. Cassiel and the woman seemed to dance in sync with one another's movements. He would go left, the lighting sheathed blade hissing as the cold winter air steamed in its presence, and she would cut right the whirlwind around her blade rendering it invisible as it struck and missed cleaving the man in half by micrometers at best.

This ballet of whirling blades and grunts of exertion lasted an eternity to his heightened senses, but his chronometer only read 7.24 seconds had passed when he finally saw a chink in the man's defense. It wasn't the best chance as the man had knocked his blade to an awkward position with a desperate parry. Cassiel knew his blade wouldn't be able to capitalize on the chance.

So he didn't use it.

Using his empty left fist, he sent a left hook that would pulverize the engine block of a Taurox into the man's face. He felt something give as the man flew back about a meter before landing first on his back, then leaping back to his feet.

The man was smiling through shattered teeth and a bloody nose.

"Owowow…. Man you've got a mean left hook big guy. I'd love to stay and finish this but… well… My Master said to retreat. I'll look forward to our finale Big Blue and Little Blue. Later."

Before Cassiel could react, the man was gone.

Vanished.

And quiet returned to the estate once more.

He inhaled and exhaled slowly before he turned to the woman and sheathed his sword. She was looking at him with a look of caution… and curiosity. The silence persisted for a few moments more before he decided the stand off had to end.

"I am Cassiel. Antaeus Cassiel of the Ultramarines 5th company." He said coolly with his arm extended.

He had seen the gesture several times between Imperial Guard officers and hoped it was a universal one.

Arturia Pendragon had seen much in her lifetimes but nothing quite matched what she saw in front of her now. The man that stood opposite of her, her Master from what she could tell, was no normal human.

The most obvious sign of this was his appearance. He was nearly twice her size and adorned in a suit of armor that even she had to admit was beautiful. The blue plate was adorned with numerous symbols and wax seals. He wore a white cape, richly adorned with golden two headed eagles at the corners and his head was covered in a helm with a deep red crest, a sign of his rank she guessed.

The second of the most obvious signs was what he had been doing up until a few seconds ago. He had been fighting a Servant on nearly equal terms for who knows how long until he had summoned her. He wasn't as fast as a Servant like Lancer, but he was in the same spectrum as herself.

Her eyes were drawn to his left shoulder where she saw a white "U" emblazoned with a black skull in the middle.

"I am…. Saber." She replied and shook his hand. His head tilted in question at that. Her Master seemed unaware of what she was.

That was… odd.

It would have to wait for now, however, as she could feel another Servant approaching.

"Master, there's another servant approaching. Orders?"

He stiffened for a moment. Whoever he was, the man adjusted quickly and she could appreciate that efficiency. Until he drew his sword.

_Why can't I ever have a normal Master?_ She silently complained as thoughts of that bastard Kiritsugu came to mind.

No matter.

"Go. I'll catch up. After this battle however… I have questions."

_So do I._

Enough complaining for now though. She nodded and jumped over the wall separating her and the new enemy. She turned to see her Master moving with a speed that was… impressive for a human.

What was even more impressive was when he put his shoulder down and crashed through the stone wall as if it was made of cheap canvas.

This clearly alarmed the Master/Servant pair in the alleyway beyond as both immediately went on the attack. Saber obliged and started immediately after the Servant in red.

Cassiel dodged the shot of energy that was aimed for his head. 'Saber' had leapt to engage the man in the red coat the moment he burst through the wall. It wasn't the most… tactful way to get out into the alleyway but then Captain of the 5th was growing impatient. His questions kept piling up with no answers in sight.

He stomped on his doubts for now. Answers could wait. Now was the time for combat and combat was something his kind could do very well. He kept his pistol in its holster as he wanted to conserve the precious munitions he only had a limited supply of and drew the sword from its scabbard.

His enemy, a young woman by the looks of it through the dust of his entrance was surprised at not only his stature, but also his weapon. The surprise quickly faded, however, as his chosen opponent went on the attack. She shot several bolts at him and in rapid succession.

His plate was assaulted by the small barrage of 'projectiles' that peppered him. He simply dropped his shoulder and weathered the storm as he advanced calmly and with purpose. He wanted to try and take this one alive.

He heard her grunt in agitation and was prepared to charge forwards when he saw a small gem enter his field of vision. He cocked an eyebrow before his battle sense screamed for him to _move_. It was too late.

The young woman chanted something in an ancient Germanic tongue and the small ruby glowed before exploding mere feet from him. The explosion could be compared to a krak grenade as the shockwave pushed the Space Marine from his feet and sent him careening towards the wall.

His armor wailed in protest at the damage it had received before he slammed into the wall. He grunted in pain and got up.

His suit wasn't compromised but the damage was far more than what he expected.

_Guilliman's breath! Who are these people?_

He stepped back into the alley proper when he heard Saber shout.

"MASTER! LOOK OUT!"

He reacted instantly, decades of combat experience eliminating all doubt or hesitation. It wasn't enough, unfortunately.

The strange projectiles pierced him several times in the chest and abdomen.

It was only by sheer luck and his last minute evasion that his primary heart wasn't pierced by the barrage. The pain forced him to a knee.

He looked down and saw… swords?

Two nearly identical blades, one white and the other ebony, were protruding from his plate. He didn't want to think how much force was behind the throws to send them through ceramite, much less what they were made of.

_How in the…_

Be coughed up blood into his helmet before tearing it off and spitting the blood into the street and rising back to his feet.

This seemed to surprise the man in red as he hesitated. Cassiel didn't, however, and pulled the Sunwrath pistol from its holster and shot at the man.

The plasma bolt caught him full on the right shoulder in an explosion of energy that sent the man rocketing towards the street.

He landed with a wet smack of charred meat.

Amazingly, the man still lived, though his arm was gone. He stood all the same and a white blade appeared from thin air.

Cassiel fell to his knee once more as Saber appeared next to him, her own armor dented and scratched but otherwise no worse for wear.

"Master! Master can you stand? We must retreat!"

Cassiel inhaled sharply and pulled out one of the blades as an answer. The blood poured from the wound for a moment before his body reacted and the clotting staunched the blood loss.

"I can fight. Try to take the girl alive. I need answers."

She had a look of concern and also amazement on her face that he was still alive, let alone strong enough to give orders. He was in obvious pain, his face pulled into a scowl that didn't fit his patrician features. His blue-green eyes were dulled from the near mortal wounds he had sustained but still shone with a fire of defiance.

Cassiel forced himself to his feet, using his sword as a crutch, and finally pulled the other blade out of his chest. He gasped in pain and tossed the offending ivory sword away where is dissipated.

The two parties stood there for a moment in silence before movement behind Cassiel caught his notice.

It was the Shirou. He was still wounded, a product of the botched stab to the heart before Cassiel had arrived.

"Stop…" He said weakly but with conviction. He held a wooden sword in his hands that glowed oddly.

The girl seemed to react at the voice though it was minuscule.

She knew him.

"Stop. All of you. There's no reason." He said as he hobbled between the two groups. Both parties were too shocked to say or do anything, Cassiel especially. The boy had been close to shock when he saw him last. And now the wound had… closed?

"E-Emiya!? What are you doing here!?" She called to the red headed boy.

"Eh? Tohsaka?" He perked at the voice. He still sounded weak but was a far sight better than… twenty minutes ago?

A cold wind blew between the two opposing forces. Cassiel look at the two arguing teens and to the man in the red coat who was still staring daggers at him.

"Saber, was it?"

She nodded, still on guard, the cyclone surrounding her blade still churning.

"Stand down. I think it's safe to say that this battle is over."

She looked over to him with a doubtful expression.

"Theoretical: Both he and I are close to death's door. In the next exchange both of us will be mortally wounded.

She cocked an eyebrow.

"Practical: This fight has ended in a draw."

She wouldn't put her sword away just yet.

"HEY!" He heard as the woman, who's name was Tohsaka, was staring at him with barely contained rage.

"Did you save Shirou or not?!"

He spat a mouthful of blood into the pavement where is sizzled from his saliva's acid content.

"I suppose you could say that I did."

She glared at him.

"Hmph. Fine. I owe you one then. Archer, retreat. You need to heal yourself."

The man glared at Cassiel before nodding and vanished into thin air.

He nodded to Saber and she allowed the sword to dissipate.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N, questions, and comments:

Good evening/morning/day everyone!

I'm glad that people have enjoyed my little drabble here so far and I hope you continue to do so because I'm thoroughly enjoying writing it :D

Okay so first off!

There's not any action in this chapter (BOOOO! HIIIIISS!) because I felt some character development would be better at this point.

I wanted to depict how Cassiel would react to his new reality and also showcase how flexible his thinking can be and also I felt he needed to bond with our favorite King before they could do much.

Destins: Thanks man! I'll definitely not let you down (I hope)

MedicantBias219: I'm glad you liked the idea! And as far as the Prana goes… well I have an idea for that and it's [REDACTED IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY ORDOS]. I actually put a description in this chapter of him because of your comment because I realized I hadn't described him yet so thank you for that.

Meeyaaargh3412: Thank you so much for giving this a chance! I won't let you down :D

Guest: Ramax Viscurio: I'm glad I was able to convey that correctly. I wanted to drive home that each have their own advantages or disadvantages. Space Marines are near the pinnacle a normal human can achieve without rewriting their whole genetic code and Servants are the greatest heroes humanity had produced in the age of Magic so I wanted to show each have strengths and weaknesses.

Guest: Periwinkle: Well I wouldn't say he's no nonsense. My guy has moments of levity occasionally and has taken extra care into trying to understand the baseline humans. But having said that he's no Ciaphas Cain and certainly a little more removed from humanity than most.

ShortyMcCoy: Thanks a bunch for the support! :D

Alright now that questions are out of the way, let's see what our local King and Captain are up to, shall we?

Act One: Theoretical

The First Day

Saber didn't trust the young woman as she approached her wounded Master. She was amazed he was still on his feet, let alone still able to battle. Yet she could sense he could suffer far more grievous wounds than that before succumbing to the them.

She plainly saw he could handle himself well enough, but he was unlike other magi she had ever met. He seemed wholly unaware of his nature as he relied on blades and that odd weapon that had wounded Archer so badly. He grunted in pain and collected his helm as the unlikely group made their ways into the Emiya estate.

It was there that she could see the battle against Lancer had gone on longer than she'd thought. He had not only matched a Servant in equal combat but he had made them fight seriously. The magical energy residue of Lancer was almost physically manifesting it was so powerful.

_Perhaps he won't be a bad Master after all. _She pondered as she watched Cassiel enter the courtyard and followed him.

Tohsaka had taken Shirou into the main building and was already complaining to the teen about how careless he had been. All with a worried expression on her face.

She was no judge of character but even Saber could see that Tohsaka was a good person under all the bluster though she was still a rival master.

Her Master stopped before entering the small outbuilding that served as a guest house and gingerly, almost comically so, opened the door.

The giant man had to crouch to fit inside comfortably but he made no complaint of it as he found a comfortable place to kneel and turned to his significantly shorter Servant and sighed explosively.

She saw a little of the façade crack as he unconsciously let the events of the past few hours weigh on him. It was only visible to one who knew what to look for but she knew when there was chink in a knight's armor.

He motioned to the chair. "Please sit. We have much to discuss." She nodded and took a seat, agreeing that there was much that needed to be said.

She sat and the two sat in silence for a moment as both pondered their words.

Finally Cassiel broke the silence. "Who and what are you?"

She had expected much from the man, but she did not expect that.

Did he truly have no idea what was happening?

_Well. I suppose blunt works best._

"I am a Servant. A Heroic Spirit. I was summoned from the Throne of Heroes with the help of the Holy Grail to do battle with six other masters to claim the Grail. The Grail will then fulfill the winner's wish."

There. That was a simple enough explanation she hoped. Truthfully, she was a little worried despite all his prowess. The magical energy he supplied her was sporadic at best and even then it didn't seem like he had as much as she'd hoped.

His soul seemed… incomplete or damaged judging by the magical energy she was receiving. Like something had caused him great harm in the past physically and mentally. She would ask later if it turned into an issue during their battles.

But now she was worried at the man in front of her as his face was scrunched into a look of deep thought.

"Um… Master?" She asked, hoping he would answer.

He blinked and looked at her, evidently snapped out of his internal thoughts.

"I have a few questions, if you will indulge me, Saber."

She nodded.

"Very well. Firstly, what is a Heroic spirit?"

She blinked and was prepared to answer as calmly as she could, worry not withstanding, but before the words could leave her mouth, a familiar voice filled the small building.

"Oh? We have to start there? I thought Shirou was joking when he said you appeared in a bright flash of light."

It was the woman from before. The Master of Archer. Behind her was a freshly bandaged Shirou Emiya.

"I… suppose you could say that's the truth… Miss?" He replied.

"Rin Tohsaka. Saber, may I?"

The servant of the sword shot her a look of suspicion but slowly nodded.

"Now then. A Servant is a manifestation of the spirit of a heroic figure in human history. They usually take an aspect they excelled at and manifest as that aspect given form. For example, Saber must have been a renowned swordswoman in her home country and Archer a bowman of high regard in his. There are other classes of servant. They are Caster, Lancer, Assassin, Berserker, and Rider. Casters are famous magi from their time, Lancers are famous spearmen, Assassins excel at quiet kills, Riders excel in cavalry fights and quick movement, and Berserkers are typically spirits who sacrifice sanity for raw power."

She turned to Cassiel who nodded slowly as he digested the information. Saber appreciated that he seemed to be very fast on the uptake. He must have seen many unbelievable things in his life already since the non-magus seemed to take in these things so fast.

"And the Throne of Heroes is where these Servants reside when not in the physical plane, then?" He asked turning to Saber and Rin respectively.

They both nodded and Rin continued.

"The Grail is like the one in the legends. It is an omnipotent wish granting cup that provides the energy to summon these servants, which would be impossible for magi to summon under normal circumstances."

He nodded again.

"I have another question. It may seem… odd."

Rin nodded, as did Saber.

He sighed. "Theoretical: This 'Holy Grail' can grant a wish."

They nodded again.

"Practical: This wish can include one that sends one to any point in history."

Saber's eyebrow shot up in confusion at that. Not only was his speech pattern at the moment odd, but the question itself was odd. The future held no solid foundation unless one knew where to…….

"Huh?" They both responded.

"I suppose it's possible." Rin responded, visibly thinking on the matter. "It is supposed to grant any wish, why?"

Cassiel held her gaze.

"No reason."

Saber knew there was more to the question than that. She hadn't lead Camelot for over a decade without becoming a shrewd politician and an even better liar, as much as it vexed her to do so. As a result she could detect a lie or a mistruth.

Rin, however, seemed to let the matter drop. "Anyways, if you would like a more in depth explanation we will have to head to the church. The man there was sent as an overseer of sorts. He knows much more about the Grail than I would." Saber saw the young girl's face darken at the mere mention of the man and Cassiel's at the mention of a church.

_Not the religious type then._

Cassiel had seemed to make up his mind then.

"Very well. If you would be so kind as to lead us there Ms. Tohsaka, I would greatly be in your debt, even though you may be my enemy later."

The young girl seemed uncomfortable at being addressed so formally and averted her gaze.

"Yeah. Well. I owe you for saving this big dummy."

Shirou scowled as she gestured to him.

"Hey, Tohsaka, it's not like I wanted a psycho with a spear to want me dead."

Cassiel remained stoic through the exchange but Saber was glad to have the mood lighten between the small group. Even if her Master and Tohsaka would be at odds with one another in the near future, she could appreciate what the woman was trying to do.

She wanted to ensure Saber's Master was aware of precisely what he was getting into before any further hostilities could resume between them.

The teens bickered some more before Cassiel went to rise and nearly bumped his head on the 'low' ceiling. He cursed and settled for a crouch.

"Very well. Ms. Tohsaka, Emiya, if you would please lead the way. I'm a bit… out of my element so to speak."

With that, the unlikely group set out after Tohsaka had elected to repair some of the battle damage such as the door Cassiel had torn from the home. At first Tohsaka tried to tell Shirou to stay home, trying in vain to convince the boy that he had no business traveling with two Masters when he could barely grasp simple magecraft as it was called, but the boy had said that Cassiel was his guest and owed it to him to make sure nothing happened to him. While Cassiel seemed to appraise the young man favorably for his bravery, Saber had her doubts about whether Cassiel needed such a guardian. She knew battle honors and signals of rank when she saw them. The wax seals, the parchment, the helm crested in red, the skulls painted on the armor, and even his right pauldron all spoke of rank or prestige. An officer of some sort at the very least, and a decorated one at that.

The night, which had up until recently been filled with the sounds of battle, was quiet again. The chilly winter night left Saber, Shirou, and Rin with mist coming from their noses and mouths as they walked along the still streets. Curiously, Saber noted that the steam coming from Cassiel was from the huge backpack mounted to his ornate warplate. She idly thought that the armor itself must be powered, though she knew not how. She was aware of more recent advances such as nuclear fission and the concept of fusion due to the Grail providing her a basic knowledge of the era, but something nagged at her about what he said earlier about traveling through time.

Perhaps they both had secrets.

How fitting.

After the better part of an hour, the group approached the church. Saber saw the old stone work and felt a sense of… foreboding. She shivered and not from the cold.

Her Master seemed to notice and inclined his head, possibly asking if she was well.

She nodded and he turned forwards once more as the two in front of them stopped.

"Well, here we are. Inside is a man by the name of Kirei Kotomine." Said Rin, who looked like she swallowed something bitter as she almost spat his name. "He's a snake and utterly insufferable, but he should be able to answer any questions you might have."

Cassiel looked at the large doors for a moment before starting his way towards them, his face was unknowable again because of his replaced helmet, but she could note he seemed to be in thought.

"I shall return shortly. Saber, guard these two please. I do not wish harm to befall them when I owe them a debt such as this."

She nodded in agreement.

"Very well Master. And Master?"

He turned. "Cassiel, please. I get enough titles as it is."

"Cassiel," She corrected. "Be cautious. There is something…. Not right about this place."

He grunted in agreement as he began his trek.

"You feel it too then?"

Throughout history warriors, particularly those that had fought in as many battles as Cassiel and Saber had and lived to talk about it, would seem to have a sixth sense for danger. Some would call it paranoia, but the fact of the matter is that there was a reason for their behavior. One does not live very long on the field of battle, be it fought with sword and shields or guns and bullets, without a little paranoia. If danger could hide somewhere, it would, and if it would hide somewhere, it was always wise to anticipate it.

Cassiel, for his part, felt a cold chill crawl down his spine as he opened the door to the church. He wasn't afraid, but after decades of combating xenos, traitor kin, and the daemonic, he had become rather adept at seeking out the more esoteric and supernatural threats.

The floor creaked under his weight in the otherwise silent church and he kept a hand on the sword in the scabbard at his hip.

He checked his helmet linked auspex array and, disturbingly, it was acting like it was being jammed.

He tightened the grip on his sword and noted that the auto senses were also malfunctioning, despite him checking and rechecking his armor's systems as they walked.

Something was deeply wrong with this place.

"Oh, it seems we have a visitor." The deep and smooth voice commented as a man in the modest trappings of a preacher made his way from the back room.

Cassiel, much like Guilliman, had a rather low opinion of preachers as a rule. They tended to be anathema to the order he stood for and while he appreciated all that the Adeptus Ministorum contributed to the war effort with their Sisters of Battle and the Adeptus Mechanicus with their myriad of Skitarii, battle automata, Knight titans, and the Collegia Titanica's war machines, he had to admit their unrestrained zealotry reminded him too closely of the Red Devils that had burned his home world before he had become a member of the Emperor's Finest.

This man, however, elicited suspicion for an entirely new reason to Cassiel. Though he was in the presence of an Astartes, he was too calm, his mannerisms too controlled, and that smirk seemed to hide much more than a kind and stoic preacher.

Even Emiya, Tohsaka, and time a far lesser degree, Saber, seemed to look at him with a cautious yet curious eye.

This man was dangerous. Cassiel knew not why or how this man was deadly, but he knew the man was a killer. The eyes said it all.

Cassiel himself had killed more than a few in his lifetime and rarely had taken any amount in satisfaction in the lives he had taken, but this man seemed to revel in it.

His real hand tightened into a fist.

Theoretical: The Church and the Magi are often at odds.

Practical: This man had learned and employed tactics to defend himself.

Theoretical: This man is a psychopath galavanting as a holy man.

Practical: He kills for the sick thrill of it.

He narrowed his eyes.

His answers were more important, but he would take every word the man said with a grain of salt.

"Good evening…. Preacher."

Cassiel said evenly.

"Oh such manners from such a strange gentleman. Well, I assume you are a gentleman. You look a bit like a golem to me." The man smiled at his own joke but Cassiel, with the help of his helmet, was as readable as a brick wall.

"I have questions, priest." Cassiel said clearly and tersely. He had no patience for this odd man's games.

"Ah. I see you are here in a more official capacity than needing succor from the world's many woes. Very well. What do you require Mr….?"

"Cassiel."

"Ah, that is a rather odd name for around this area. Well then, what do you wish to ask of this man of the cloth, Mr. Cassiel?"

Cassiel was gladdened you know the man could take a hint. Though that annoying smirk still was ever present.

"This… Grail. And the war for it."

The man's demeanor changed ever so slightly and he seemed rather… delighted.

"Aaah. I see, I see. You are here for a far different reason than most. Very well. If you have made it this far then you must have at least a vague understanding of the Grail War. What exactly do you wish to inquire about?"

Cassiel's sense of unease increased the more than man talked. He wished to be done with this business and leave as soon as was feasible lest he kill this wretch and burn the building to ash.

"Is there a limit to what this Grail can do?"

"I suppose there is. It cannot summon gods, if you wish to meet yours in this realm." The smirk widened slightly.

"How about sending one to different time periods."

"Oho? Planning a trip to the past are we?"

Cassiel's stare of annoyance must have transferred even through the facemask, because the man quickly elaborated.

"Yes. That is well within its realm of capabilities."

Cassiel nodded and turned turned on his heel, seemingly content.

"Very well. That is all that is needed. I thank you for your time."

"Oh? Is that all? Good grief. You magi of today dream so small." The man jabbed, seemingly wanting a rise out of the giant in his church. He seemed to get no small amount of pleasure from attempting to bully those who may be in over their heads.

Cassiel finally had enough.

Normally, Cassiel would ignore the slight. But this situation was anything but normal to even the likes of a Captain in the Adeptus Astartes Ultra.

Cassiel stopped, calmly took his helmet off, and set it gingerly on the maglock at his belt so that man could see precisely how angered he was.

In a flash, he had covered the five meters between the two and had his bionic arm's hand wrapped firmly around the priest's neck.

"You. Will. Shut. Up. Priest." Growled the Space Marine as the surprised Kotomine choked and spat and desperately clawed at the inviolable adamantium.

"I will not be patronized by the likes of some worm who prays to a god that doesn't even exist. I have faced and killed things that would drive you mad by merely laying eyes upon them!"

Cassiel was, in a word, pissed. He'd had a rather tumultuous twenty-four Terran standard hours to say the least. And now some priest was mocking him?

Not likely.

He would be rather ashamed of this moment and his lack of control in this moment when he looked upon it in the future, but right now he simply couldn't be bothered to care.

"My indulgence is nearly at an end for all this foolishness. Let it be known that you live through my charity alone. Let it be known, priest, that I know what you are, you murderer of men. I know because that's what I am. I can smell the blood and cruelty coming off you in waves you cur. I have spat upon the corpses of filth such as yourself and I have set fire to entire worlds for the very crime of their existenc!"

The clawing was weaker now, Kotomine seemed close to passing out as Cassiel dropped him to the floor rather unceremoniously and pointed a single armor encased digit from his right hand at the man.

"Let it be known, without a doubt, that if you attempt to come for me, then I will end you in ways that even your false god can't save you from. And even if they try, I will strike them down like I have struck down so called gods from where I come from."

Before the preacher could utter an indignant word beyond a gasp for breath or a cough, Cassiel had turned and left.

Saber was surprised to see her Master so soon. Rin had told both her and Shirou to get comfy. Evidently the priest had a bad habit of monologuing too long.

She had a suspicion that something had gone awry when her Master came out of the church without his trademark helmet in place. Instead it was attached to his belt and he had a deep scowl on his face that softened somewhat as he approached the small group who had huddled closer to defeat the chill of the night.

It was Shirou who spoke first.

"Did you find out what you were looking for?" He asked with a hopeful expression.

"Yes. We may leave this damnable place and that damnable preacher now."

Rin snorted into her hand.

"He has that effect, doesn't he?"

Cassiel grunted in acknowledgment and annoyance.

"Yes. I am reminded why I hate his ilk every time I meet with them."

His face relaxed more as his calm demeanor took back over from his annoyance.

Now that he wasn't bleeding or fighting, Saber had a moment to fully appraise her Master's countenance.

He wasn't old, but nor was he young. He looked to be a seasoned warrior in his late twenties and his close cropped hair was shaved at the sides with a Raven black color with a small streak of blond intermixed above his left eye. Curiously, his eyes were different colors; with his left being a warm emerald which matched her own that seemed inviting even to those who thought his size was intimidating, but his other eye was an icy blue that pierced all who seemed to look into it down to their very soul. Outside of combat, she could tell he was kind and amenable to his fellow man, but in a life or death struggle, he would be your worst foe… or your greatest ally. The rest of his face looked like it was chiseled out of marble with cheekbones that weren't exactly sharp, but they were pronounced and a jawline that was creased with cares from his obviously hard life. His face was covered in multiple scars caused by sharpened weapons and by flame or possibly acid. Above the seal of his armor, she saw more scarring and the signs of tattoos that led beneath the plate.

He was by no means unsightly because of the scars and signs of battle, far from it.

In fact, he was rather handsome in a patrician and rugged sense.

She noted he reminded her of many of the knights her army had possessed during her tenure as the King of Britain but with more reserve and less arrogant bluster. He was a man of purpose but he was a man of integrity and humility.

The ideal knight.

In short, she approved of him thus far. His actions and his demeanor combined with his admittedly noble appearance had impressed her.

Not an easy thing to accomplish.

"Shirou, are you positive it is acceptable to allow us to stay at your home? I'm sure Ms. Tohsaka warned you of the dangers. I don't know what to expect from this… war, but my experiences tell me collateral damage is likely."

The young man merely shook his head.

He was tired, but his conviction was resolute even now.

"It's fine. I can't very well kick you both out onto the street, can I?"

Cassiel smiled slightly at that.

"Very well. You have my thanks and my solemn oath that I will not allow harm to befall you or those around you so long as I draw breath. Now, shall we be off? I have no desire to allow you to 'catch your death' as they say."

The group began down the hill and started the long walk back to their their respective homes. Now that Cassiel was without his helmet, he could truly appreciate the small city. He could smell none of the smog and pollution that afflicted the many Hive Worlds he had fought on and he even could smell the salt of the nearby ocean. His enhanced eyes could make out the outlying scenery of the mountains, forests, and the city nearby. Truly, it was a peaceful and beautiful place.

One he had no business in.

He would never be ashamed of what he was and what he had become because he was more than any normal human could ever hope to become in their lifetime.

This wasn't arrogance speaking, but cold fact.

But no matter how much his Primarch extolled leadership for his kind in a peaceful galaxy, he knew it was a false dream at best, at least while he lived.

His place, his burden, was the battlefield.

He had no business here nor would he ever.

They continued to walk through the quiet streets of Fuyuki in silence. All the parties were too tired, Cassiel included wounded that he still was, to make much small talk. He had suffered worse wounds and had come back with little issue, but he still needed time to heal and repair his armor.

That would become a pressing issue before long if he wasn't careful.

He could weld well enough, however, thanks to the techmarine assigned to his company. The battle brother had been a maverick and extolled the values of maintenance and proper repair as opposed to incense and prayers and had been more than happy to pass on knowledge to his brothers on the more complex upkeep of their arms and equipment.

He merely hoped he could acquire the right tools.

Thankfully, nothing else untoward had happened to the group. They reached the Emiya estate a couple hours before the sun would rise. Shirou insisted on walking Rin back to her home, but before she left, she wanted to make it clear to Cassiel that they were to be enemies and that she would hold no quarter from this point onwards.

Cassiel merely nodded and agreed with the sentiment, though he still thanked the young woman genuinely for the help she had offered.

Shirou and Tohsaka left, leaving the Master and Servant alone for the first time since their brief conversation previously.

They both stood in the courtyard, seemingly immune to the cold as they were, and were alone with their respective thoughts.

Cassiel took this as to be a good a time as any to formally introduce himself and explain his situation. If he was to fight with this woman, they had to trust one another. He had seen her skill and knew she would be a powerful ally.

"Saber, I believe I should be honest with you if we are to win against these other magi." He gestured to the inverted omega symbol on his left shoulder.

"I am Captain Antaeus Cassiel, Captain of the Ultramarines 5 company, Master of the Marches, and dubbed The Ghost of Old Calth by some. I was born in 003.M31, put into stasis in 009.M31, and resurrected officially in 005.M42. I am a member of an elite group of transhuman soldiers called the Space Marines. I am specifically a part of the second generation of these venerable beings, the Primaris Space Marines. As you can tell, we are faster, stronger, more resilient, and completely immune to shock and fear when compared to normal humans. In short, I am a weapon."

He sighed.

"That is the thirty first millennium and forty second millennium respectively. I fight… I fight to use this grail to return to my time and my brothers. I realize this may be difficult to believe… but it is the truth. I gain nothing from lying to you."

Saber's eyes grew wide and she blinked, utterly speechless at what he had just said. What he said wasn't completely impossible, she was proof of this, but the scale of where he had come from was… astounding. She had little difficulty believing he was a superhuman soldier, however, his ability to keep up with Lancer and seriously wound Archer were actions that spoke louder than any words. And the more she pondered the sheer impossibility of his claims, the more things began to make sense.

His unfamiliarity with the time and place, his esoteric arms and armor, his warrior countenance in a time when Earth was largely a peaceful place.

She nodded slowly, the information finally settling in her mind.

"Very well Captain. I shall assist you in your goal. I desire the Grail as well so I believe we both can benefit from a partnership."

She looked down, suddenly ashamed.

"Captain, I have a request."

He nodded and smiled reassuringly. "Name it. And please, call me Cassiel. My rank means little when the organization it belongs to doesn't exist yet and again I have enough titles."

She sighed.

"I do not wish to reveal my True Name to you just yet. It's not a matter of trust, but you have not fought magi and lack the means to resist their mental scrying. We Heroic Spirits are taken from fragments of our real selves, and as such we are weak to what we died to in our lives. Please understand."

The Captain inclined his head politely.

"I understand Saber. You need not explain yourself to me, though I appreciate you telling me."

He stuck his hand out after removing an armored gauntlet.

She could see his command spells. The aspect of a sword, an old Roman gladius specifically with the same symbol as his shoulder pad as the hilt.

"Shall we claim this damned cup?"

She shook his hand in a Warrior's handshake, hand to arm, both were able to use a comfortable amount of firmness in the shake with her being a manifestation of the aspect of sword combat and him being a demigod of battle.

And so, an alliance was formed between one of Terra's mightiest heroes of the past and one of her finest from the future.

Emiya and Tohsaka walked in relative silence in the early morning air. The previous night had drained them both physically and mentally and even the perpetual workaholic that was Shirou Emiya was feeling the desperate need to sleep, his brushes with death notwithstanding.

They arrived at the residence of the Tohsaka family and while Shirou had often seen the home overlooking Fuyuki and thought it was nice, seeing it up close was another matter. The old stones that made up the home seemed to radiate with power and even an amateur like him could see powerful magecraft permeated the abode.

"Well, you're home safe and sound." He said with a tired but cheerful tone.

He had decided to ignore the sidelong glances she had been shooting him the whole walk but evidently this was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Emiya are you dumb?!"

He blinked.

"Um… exc-"

Her tangent had begun in earnest before he could utter another syllable.

"Not only do you let a _giant stranger_ into your home that's armed to the teeth and can evidently fight a Servant on equal terms, but you let him and his Servant, Saber I might add, stay in your home too?!"

Her anger had gotten the better of her and she was red in the face with fury.

Shirou did his best to weather the relentless attack of a merciless enemy.

"Emiya, do you have a death wish!? That man and his servant are both _exceptionally _deadly! I have no idea how I'm going to beat them both without leveling the block and hoping for the best! The other Masters will know that after their first night of patrols and where do you think they will go after figuring out how strong they are!?"

She jabbed her finger into his shoulder. Shirou hadn't exactly shrunken into himself under the assault but he knew deep down that Tohsaka was right. And that she was mad because he had done something rather reckless, but what else was new?

She inhaled, consciously trying to get herself under control. By now the wounded Archer had manifested, likely wondering what the racket was outside the house and had taken up position about 2 meters behind his master.

"Listen, it's not like I care what happens to you, but I can't stand by and let someone commit suicide in such a dumb way. You have to ask them to leave, or at least give them a time table. You have no reason to risk your life in this war Emiya."

Shirou sighed and blinked, his tired eyes shining in all their golden defiance.

"I can't. They have nowhere else to go. Besides they saved me at least once so far and I can't leave them to the elements in good conscience. I… I know you're right. What I'm doing is dangerous, but I can't let a debt like that go unpaid. Could you?"

His own blood had gotten up but not for a simple reason such as anger.

First, the young teenage boy and the idol girl of his school were very close due to the heated nature of their argument and Shirou was feeling more flustered by the second. Secondly, he had watched the man fight Lancer without a moment of hesitation. The man fought like a knight out of the old stories.

Like a superhero.

Shirou saw this as his one and only chance to learn from a real life superhero.

His ideal.

Rin looked away away at Shirou's last question.

"No. No I couldn't. I don't like unpaid debts."

She sighed explosively.

"Fine. If that's how it's going to be, then I suppose I'll treat you like you're his apprentice. From now on, we are enemies as well."

Shirou's eyes widened as she turned and walked toward her front door.

"Hey, wait a minute!"

No answer until she stormed back out of the home with a small bag in hand after roughly a minute.

"Here. These should fit Saber I remember her saying she couldn't dematerialize. This is the last favor I'm doing those two!"

She slammed the door closed.

"Geez…" He said as he slouched and gave a defeated huff.

He felt eyes on him and looked up to see Archer staring at him with contempt.

The Servant looked no worse for wear at the moment. His arm was back and he didn't look like a victim of a house fire anymore.

"What?" Shirou asked testily.

"Are you always that bad with women? Good grief."

Shirou's face colored at the jab.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

The silver haired man huffed.

"Not really. You don't seem to be the brightest tool in the shed. You probably couldn't smooth talk your way out of a paper bag."

Shirou gritted his teeth. He had seen the man for maybe a total of a minute and he already hated the man with the red cloak.

"Good bye."

And with that Shirou turned on his heel and left, his mood thoroughly soured.

"One last thing." The silver haired man called.

Shirou kept walking and made no attempt to indicate he had heard the Servant of the Bow.

"Give up your ideal. That man won't teach you anything. Give it up now or choke on it."

Shirou stopped for only a moment at that. His anger only briefly forcing him to stop before he kept walking with his hands in his pockets and head forwards.

Shirou simmered in his anger for most of the walk back home.

Who was that man? How did he know what Shirou's goal was and what gave him the right to say to give it up?

He shook his head and dismissed the thoughts.

What did Archer know?

He opened the gate to his home and unlocked the door.

"I'm home." He said tiredly as he kicked his shoes off. His shoulder, which had only been a dull throbbing until now due to the adrenaline and constant activity finally protested loud enough for Shirou when he brushed the corner of the wall leading to the living room.

He nearly jumped when he saw the imposing figure of Cassiel standing like a statue in the courtyard. He looked up to see the room empty before reading the clock on the wall.

Nearly 2 AM.

Didn't he need to rest?

Shirou shrugged and stepped outside for long enough to deposit the small bag into the giant's care before retreating back inside the building and yawned. His body felt sluggish as the sense of safety of being in his own home threatened to make him fall asleep on the floor right there.

He smacked his face, refusing that indignity, and walked towards his room in the back of the home. He would bathe in the morning, because right now his futon was calling his name like a siren in the old Greek tales.

He unceremoniously collapsed onto his bed after clumsily changing into his sleeping attire and finally slept.

As Shirou and even Saber slept, the former to regain his strength and the latter to set of rhythm of rest and recuperation and to preserve her own strength due to the irregular intervals in which she was provided with magical energy, one figure stayed awake.

Cassiel was in the courtyard and alone with his thoughts. He was a transhuman warrior, a demigod of battle, a slayer of tyrants, and a killer of the enemies of Man.

However, he was still a man, deep down. He was both more and less than a normal human in some ways and even Space Marines can feel doubt. It wasn't often and it was never for long, but even he could feel the cold hand of doubt occasionally found its way to his hearts as it had right now.

He knelt, placing his blade point down and bowed his head.

After several deep breaths, he entered a state of calm.

It wasn't often he found the need to meditate as he kept a serene state of mind, but obviously today was far from a normal day.

His mind drifted and he felt a strange sense of disconnection.

He was on a hill surrounded by corpses that weren't his brothers nor were they the mutilated bodies of cultists. He saw swords and polished steel, blood and cloth, former comrades and brothers felled upon their own blades. At the top of the hill sat a figure that had been pierced through. It was the last living thing on the field as the late summer sun began to set.

The figure was crying as it began to scream its lamentations to the heavens.

He woke with a start.

"What in Guilliman's name…"

He felt… something. A tightening in the chest, a weight upon his shoulders, and a deep feeling of emptiness. Of loss. Of regret.

He stood and began to pace, hoping the air of the night could clear…. Whatever that was.

Several meters away, Saber was stirring in her sleep. All she saw was nuclear fire and blood. Red giants butchering people and slaughtering the Legionnaires of Ultramar.

But what was Ultramar?

She saw a black knife drawn across the throat of a noble warrior in blue, even his last moments were spent in rapt defiance before his body convulsed and bulged unnaturally.

The armor began to creak and the man was making unnatural sounds of pain…. So much pain…. reality screamed and something was born.

She woke, covered in a cold sweat and shuddered heavily as the feelings of righteous anger left her body.

She stared at the blue armored giant that was making rounds outside with sympathy and no small amount of respect. Before rolling over and fitfully fell back asleep.

What was left of the night passed quietly for the Emiya estate. Cassiel remained awake, his body not needing rest for some time, but his mind became more troubled as he pondered his circumstances. This train of thought remained a constant stream of theoreticals and practicals. Though he came no closer to answers for the strange visions he saw during his meditations, the exercise itself was calming to the Ultramarine. His ability to attempt to rationalize his circumstances occupied his mind until the sun began to rise. Even Cassiel had to admit the sun rising on Terra as it was full of life and not plagued by smog and pollution was breathtaking.

He remembered several brothers from the Blood Angels in his old Grey Shield company fondly who would be green with envy with him being able to see this.

They were always artists at heart and would love to paint the scene with their fancy paints or write prose about its majesty. Cassiel shook his head with a chuckle at the thought of that sight.

They were dramatic like that.

How he missed them.

His auspex picked up movement in the home. He turned to see an incredibly groggy Shirou staggering his way about the home with a towel in hand. For a mortal, Cassiel had to respect the young man's drive and ability in certain areas.

Perhaps he would've made a good Astartes had he the chance to go through selection.

His auspex pinged again.

He turned his head to see Saber closing the door to the guest house. She was no longer in her armor and seemed almost fragile without it if he hadn't known she could likely kill him in a duel.

Her attire was simple and practical with a long, blue skirt that came down past the knee and a long sleeve, white top with a blue bow and black stockings.

These were likely what Shirou had in the bag that he had pushed Cassiel into giving to Saber.

"Good morning, do you feel rested?"

She nodded and smiled. Though there was something in her eyes like… sympathy?

He dropped the matter; she likely was worried whether her partner would be able to keep up with the other Masters despite not possessing any of their peculiar abilities.

"I do, thank you for asking."

The smile fell somewhat, and she looked concerned.

"Did you not sleep?"

The image of the hill, the bodies, and the unfamiliar feelings jumped into his mind at the thought of his botched attempt at sleep. He dispelled them as efficiently as his kind was capable of doing so.

"No. I do not need rest as normal humans do. I assure you, though, that I am well enough."

Her face scrunched up into one of… annoyance and worry? Before she walked over to the Astartes and attempted to stare him down with her arms crossed.

Had he not have been sure she could seriously kill him should she put her mind to it, the height disparity between the two alone would have been comical, even to him, and the fact she was about to lecture him would have pushed it into the realm of the ridiculous.

"Master, you need your proper rest. You may think you're something more than human but you're still human and humans need rest!" Her eyes glanced to the two still bloody holes in his chest plate and the color had drained from her face.

"Cassiel, did you get those wounds treated?"

His eyebrow rose in a questioning gesture.

"Would you believe me if I said yes?"

And just like that, the color returned.

"This is not a joking matter! Here, we shall go and treat them now!" She all but shouted in her soft voice as she gripped his forearm and actually pulled him along towards the main home.

Her tone brooked no argument and Cassiel simply didn't want to go through the trouble of telling her the wounds were largely superficial once he removed the swords as she likely wouldn't believe him.

They burst into the living room, surprising a freshly bathed Shirou quite severely.

"Honestly, I can't believe you! Letting us forget chest wounds of all things!"

Cassiel only looked somewhat confused at the outpouring of worry from Saber as she all but ordered him to sit and he did so, consciously avoiding the table and making sure his bulk didn't damage anything.

"Oh, Shirou you're already up, come help me with this."

She ordered the young man and he dropped what he was doing and rushed over to the pair.

"Cassiel, tell me how to get these armor sections off." She said impatiently after retrieving the recently used first aid kit that Tohsaka had set back onto the kitchen counter.

"Saber this is unnecessary. I assure you, these flesh wounds likely won't even scar."

She glared at him and he sighed in resignation before reaching for the armor seals.

There was a hissing sound as Cassiel pressed the releases on his armor.

"Emiya, if you would remove my power pack."

The young man pulled back on the plate and grunted when it came loose. The back plate and pack alone seemed to weigh over 40 kilograms and he struggled to set the piece down without damaging the floor, the plate, or himself. Cassiel removed the front plate and the gigantic shoulder guards himself before setting them gingerly, almost reverently, to the side before unzipping the front of his bodysuit.

Saber had turned to get the first aid kit, but she froze when she saw just how badly he had been wounded. The previous night she had been too focused on Archer to notice anything other than he was able to remove the blades without trouble. She had no idea that they had nearly gone halfway up their hilt into his chest judging by the size of the punctures.

Cassiel seemed rather nonplussed after observing the wounds. In fact, he seemed far more worried about the plate that the swords had gone through as he kept glancing at the holes and seemed in thought.

Shirou and Saber cleaned around the wounds, which had largely been healed, amazingly enough.

They still applied some bandages despite the giant's protests, and Saber continued to lecture him for roughly ten minutes on the importance of taking care of his body.

Shirou watched the two argue fondly for a few moments. However, he kept feeling like he was forgetting something deathly important.

Oh.

He glanced at the clock and noticed the time.

He heard the door open and a soft voice call out.

"Pardon the intrusion."

Shit.

Cassiel and Saber had also heard the door and looked at him with quizzical looks.

Saber, with her normal clothes would be far easier to explain than the giant that was armed to the teeth in a huge suit of armor.

"H-hold on one-minute Sakura! I just got out of the shower!"

He could almost feel the blush beginning on his face as he said the words before whispering to the two harshly but quickly.

"There's no danger, but he needs to go!"

The two spurred into action then with Cassiel scooping up the front and back pieces of his armor as if they weighed nothing and Saber getting the shoulder pads (as if they weighed nothing!!) and hurried as quietly as they could.

The giant was clearly confused at the moment, but Saber seemed to grasp that someone seeing a figure like her Master would be…concerning to say the least. After the pair had made it to the guest house, Shirou breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay Sakura, sorry about that I almost slept in again. Yesterday was exhausting." He said kindly as he opened the door. She smiled sweetly and let herself in.

Shirou then went about preparing breakfast after donning his apron and making some small talk with Sakura as they awaited Fuji-Nee's trademarked chaotic entry into the home.

He had elected to try for a Western style breakfast of eggs, toast, and bacon, partially to allow Sakura to truly shine and build her self-confidence, and partially because his 'guests' might be more comfortable eating foods they may be familiar with.

He fried the bacon as Sakura cooked the eggs and before long, the plates were piled high with (an intentionally) daunting pile of eggs and bacon. Shirou made the excuse that he felt exceptionally hungry that day when Sakura asked why he wanted to prepare so many.

He glanced outside and swore he saw a small head topped with blonde hair staring at the feast as it was prepared.

As if on cue, the moment the last of the plates were set at the small table, a tiger striped hurricane barged into the room.

"I'm here! Good morning Shirou! Good morning Sakura!" Taiga Fujimura called cheerfully as she bounded across the room and sat at her place.

"Oooooooh!!! Western food today? Hey did Sakura make this?"

Shirou gave an exasperated smile. Taiga 'Tiger' Fujimura was more of a force of nature than a human being and his self appointed guardian ever since Kiritsugu had passed. She was messy and irresponsible, loud and obnoxious, and prone to outbursts but she balanced perfectly with Sakura's shy and quiet demeanor and between the three of them, they usually had something interesting to talk about.

"Mhm. I helped Senpai." Said Sakura in her quiet voice.

Taiga took a big bite of her eggs and made a content sound.

"AH! I bet it was the eggs! These are even better than Shirou's!"

Sakura blushed and found the floor incredibly interesting at the earnest praise.

The rest of breakfast went along in a similar vein with Taiga asking the two teens how school was going, if they needed help, and when Shirou was going to rejoin the archery club.

At the end of the meal, Taiga and Sakura left to get to the archery club in time for their practice.

After they left, Shirou sighed a breath of relief that his guests hadn't been found out.

He waved to the pair in the guest house and they both walked over. With Saber seemingly having a slight skip in her step from some barely contained excitement.

Cassiel had completely removed his armored plates by this point and Saber had said that he had been painstakingly polishing and cleaning each plate. Shirou also noticed that the brown holster holding his pistol had been transferred to the bodysuit along with his 'knife'. He grimaced when he saw the two bloody streaks leading from his chest.

Maybe he should get the man something else to wear in case the inevitable happened and Sakura or Fuji-nee met him. Honestly, Shirou considered them formally meeting that night just so he could breathe easy again. He gave it some thought as the two sat, Saber in a Japanese style and Cassiel in a cross legged style.

He noticed Cassiel looked at the chopsticks curiously and observed Saber using them before he picked them up in a nearly identical fashion, size of hands being the only difference, and began to eat.

Shirou glanced at the clock and saw it was 7:30.

Time to go.

"Okay, I'm off you two. Don't blow the place up. Please."

With that, Shirou went off to school.

Cassiel and Saber ate in silence, both enjoying the meal, both finishing with the tea Shirou had made for them.

"I have come to a realization, if you will indulge me." Cassiel said after a moment.

Saber nodded her calm features and kind eyes having returned. She was much less perturbed than she was initially this morning due to ensuring her careless Master had been treated for his wounds and with a full stomach.

The Sons Of Russ could respect the last part, he thought wryly.

"I believe that was the first meal I've since my awakening that wasn't a nutrient gruel, bar, or paste. I do wish I'd had more time for simple pleasures such as these."

She smiled and nodded resolutely.

"An army marches on its stomach." She paused, worry in her features.

"What is this nutrient gruel?"

His face must have darker because she paled. He was a Space Marine that had been in constant combat rotation for roughly 200 years. He could fight and win against nearly any enemy if given a chance to form solid theoreticals and practicals, and he could perform at 98% combat effectiveness or better in most of the galaxy's most inhospitable and hostile environments.

He still adamantly despised the tasteless pastes and slops he and his brothers had been served as nourishment during their long campaigns.

What he wouldn't have given for even a single glass of wine or anything with some flavor.

"It is…. Something." He grimaced.

Saber nodded her head in solidarity, dark memories obviously plaguing her as well.

At least the experience of poor rations in in combat situations was a constant.

The two cleaned up and Cassiel had elected to service the remainder of his arms. He kept the basics tools for the cleaning and maintenance of all his weapons whenever he went on a combat mission. He believed wholeheartedly in preparedness no matter how minor the mission may be.

Another lesson learned through the mistakes of others.

He collected his sword, cleaning supplies, and a couple pieces of cloth he kept in a compartment in his armor's backpack and walked to the same building Saber had ventured to.

She seemed in meditation and he could appreciate the need for it. A warrior needed a clear mind.

That was part of the reason why he had wanted to clean his already meticulously cared for weapons. After his failed attempt at meditation the night before, he elected another tried and true method of clearing his mind.

He laid the knife, pistol, and sword before him on the larger cloth and began the task.

Saber had taken an interest into the activity, mostly due to the exotic look of the weapons, and the fact she could appreciate a good blade.

Cassiel ran this oiled cloth along the length of the Proteus pattern blade and worked his way to the hilt, taking special care around the activation rune.

The last thing he needed as to accidentally damage his augmetic limb during a time when repairing it would be nearly impossible.

He set the blade down and saw Saber staring at the metal limb.

An unspoken question.

"I lost it fighting… traitor kin. We were liberating a city under their control."

Memories of brutalized and bloated civilians left to rot in the streets entered his mind. The location was intentional for the corpses for they would spread disease and feed the flies.

"There was an ambush and I fought their leader in single combat. They were a rather… sadistic sort. They used chemical and biological weapons often and poisoned blades were common."

The giant of a man in Cataphractii plate with the scythe laughing as daemonic poisons ate into his brothers' flesh and he struggled with the pain in his arm from the stab wound.

"He got a lucky strike in and I had to remove my own arm or risk contamination."

The crunching and tearing sound of the powerfist atomizing his arm would be a sound and feeling he would never forget.

He laughed darkly and remembered the look on Champion's face when he pulled the tainted hearts from his bloated chest.

"I won in the end, as you can see, and we liberated the bones of a dead city."

He shook his head.

It wasn't important now.

"Did they kill everyone?" Saber asked with a serious expression.

"Very nearly. And those that hadn't died begged for mercy. The enemy used…. Virulent weapons that day."

He glanced at the knife for a moment and Saber followed his gaze as the realization dawned on her.

"Barbarians. I can't believe people like them would still exist."

Saber's knuckles were white as she gripped the seem of her skirt, a deep anger showing in her emerald eyes.

He didn't have the heart to tell her the truth of the matter, that it wasn't barbarians, that these monsters were once heroes. She may be a spirit, but that didn't mean she couldn't be spared the harsh norm his reality was established in.

"I agree. My brothers and I have worked tirelessly to eradicate them. That is why I must return."

He slid the sword back into the scabbard.

Cassiel finished the maintenance and returned the weapons and cleaning supplies to their respective homes on his armor or on his person.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully for the pair save for some strategizing between the two. Cassiel's habit of forming theoreticals and practicals seemed to sit well with Saber and they came to common understandings regarding combat rather quickly.

Saber conceded that working in conjunction would be the most efficient way to victory for more than a few reasons.

After some sparring (and a couple broken shinai), they gauged that their styles were different, but complimentary. She beat him in pure power rather handsomely, but he'd had decades to master his swordsmanship and his technique was superior. Their speed was roughly on par with Saber beating him due to her smaller stature and less bulk even when Cassiel was out of his armor. The differences became more pronounced when she used a small mana burst to augment her abilities.

Cassiel, upon seeing one, noted to Saber that Lancer had been forced to use a mana burst in order to overwhelm him with speed.

In short, they had the equivalent of two Servants fighting between them which would understandably be a huge boon to them.

Another reason was that while Saber was better at thinking in the moment, Cassiel was always thinking ahead. In short, her instincts were better, while as long as he lived he could find a way to defeat nearly any enemy.

They had respected one another since the previous night when they had almost effortlessly defeated Lancer, but they truly began to bond as they crossed blades.

Neither would resort to underhanded tactics unless the situation became desperate and both learned of their respective strengths and weaknesses such as Saber's habit of relying too much on her instincts or Cassiel's habit of swinging a sword in one hand.

At last, evening approached.

Shirou arrived home which a few bags of incredibly oversized clothes to Cassiel to try, who refused until Shirou had made the argument that hiding the two of them would seem odd to the neighbors and would in turn make them a larger target.

Cassiel settled on a t-shirt that had gotten more than a few looks from the storekeeper Shirou had bought it from due to the odd print of a bird of prey that made it undesirable for most of their normal patrons and a pair of jeans that had evidently sat on the shelf for years due to it being ordered in a comically large size. It was inspired by the Roman Empire's flag from what the shopkeeper told him.

The shirt was a western cut that only barely fit the genehanced warrior, but the pants seemed to fit well enough due to an elastic made into the weave. Shirou had also gone through the trouble of finding a jacket that might fit and even some indoor and outdoor shoes.

In short, apart from the metal arm and his obvious size, the super soldier looked almost human. Cassiel then suggested simply wrapping the arm in bandages and making the excuse of a chronic injury which even Saber admitted was a good idea instead of removing the appendage.

Shirou then went over basic Japanese etiquette, which the giant had taken to surprisingly well, and when Shirou asked how he had been able to learn so much about a largely different culture, the man merely smiled and said it was 'in his blood' and changed the subject before Shirou could ask.

Shirou began his dinner preparations soon after making sure all was possibly ready for the coming storm. He had decided to opt on a large hot pot. This was two-fold in its purpose. One, the night had taken a very cold turn, and two, it was hard for Fuji-nee to stay mad when that much food was ready.

Probably.

He Hoped.

The door swung open and in burst Taiga with Sakura close behind, both bundled up from the unexpected cold snap.

"I'm back! Man, it's co-"

She froze.

Sakura bumped into Taiga and was about to apologize when she too saw two figures sitting at the table that she didn't recognize nor could she miss them.

The first one was a beautiful young woman with blonde hair and green eyes sitting serenely at the table, enjoying the smells of the meal Shirou was cooking.

The other was sitting next to the woman and he was something else entirely.

He was garbed in a red shirt with jeans and was sitting cross legged, however, the man was massive. More than massive. The man was sitting perfectly still yet his head nearly came up to her own when she was standing.

**_"GAAAH! SHIROU WHEN DID A GIANT COME HERE!?"_**


	3. Chapter 2

Goooood morning/afternoon everyone :D

I hope all my American readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving! And to all my college/university readers, good luck on your exams!

So, here in the next chapter there's a little more going on in terms of development and we have a bit more action.

Anyways, some answers and replies to comments!

NoobStyle: COURAGE AND HONOR!

Destins: Thank you! I really hated Kotomine's 800 year long monologue and I imagine Cassiel would too considering his position.

The new god: Very good question! The main reason is that he simply doesn't think about it. Given his situation, the option merely doesn't occur to him. Another reason is, logically, there would be very little for him to do to prove his story. Even Garro, who witnessed Isstvan V had a hard time convincing Dorn that he wasn't wrong.

MedicantBias219: Thank you so much for your kind words! So to address your first comment, Cassiel is from the Ultramarines (I don't know how familiar you are with 40k , but I'll use this as an explanation for any Fate fans who are unfamiliar with 40k) and the Ultramarines are one of the more reasonable chapters. They do have zealous elements but they are generally more reasonable than the vast majority. As a result, they are unlike the Black Templars, for example, in many ways. As for why Illya didn't attack Cassiel, it's merely because Cassiel passed through the area where they would've met up because Cassiel didn't let Kotomine monologue for like an hour. And Rin didn't wipe his memory because Shirou IS a magus but also because Cassiel and Saber are at his home and until the two leave or die, wiping his memory would be a little pointless.

Meeyaaargh3412: Oh trust me. Knowing my boy, that is PRECISELY what would happen.

As for Zeldetch meddling? Well… ( ͡ ͜ʖ ͡)

P E R H A P S

ShortyMcCoy: Now THAT'S a good question. I think everyone but Lorgar would be able to fight fairly well. And this is mostly because Lorgar is a shit and I hate him.

Theoretical Part 2

The First Night

Cassiel remained stoic as the spectacle unraveled before him. The woman, Taiga Fujimura or Fuji-nee as she was known, had Shirou in a headlock and seemed to be lecturing him quite…. How could he put this?

Harshly.

_"Shirooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuu……. **who are these people!? How do you know them!?"**_

Shirou's face was turning a shade of purple as she seemed to add more pressure with each word.

Though she was a rather petite woman, she was much stronger than her size implied, much to the teenage boy's misery.

Cassiel and Saber glanced to one another, evidently, she was just as worried as he was as to whether Taiga might actually hurt the kid on accident. Thankfully, she relented when Cassiel coughed as lightly as he could. It still came out almost as a growl.

"I feel as though I should explain before you choke the boy to death, Miss?" Cassiel added in a tone that truly did not befit a transhuman warrior. It seemed almost… reassuring or kind.

Taiga released the youth who took in a huge breath as if it was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted.

"Taiga Fujimura." She replied in a voice that was much more mature than a few moments ago. It was as if he had flipped a switch on her behavior by interrupting her tirade in such a calm manner.

"Ms. Fujimura, I must apologize for intruding on both of our behalf." He gestured to his companion. "It is not Shirou's fault, in fact he was more surprised to find me knocking on his door than you were. I had sent a missive ahead of time addressed to Mr. Emiya and it evidently never arrived." He said with a bow.

The woman seemed… shocked at his overly courteous and polite behavior and was taken aback at being addressed so formally.

Shirou regained his breath and coughed before pulling her aside and whispering to the far less irate woman now.

"They came here looking for Kiritsugu and were surprised to find out he had passed. They were acquaintances of his during his travels."

He explained (what he thought) was out of earshot.

They turned back around, and Taiga was a tad more placated than before after the timely intervention of Cassiel and Shirou's explanation.

"I… um… I suppose it's fine, Mr.?"

He smiled, the other half of the geneseed he received from his Primarch now working as the politician in his blood began to take over.

The inherent political nature that was in his blood in addition to the decades he had taken to attempting to understand his charges. He had always lamented at being considered so distant from baseline humanity and had received more than a few reprimands from his Sergeant when he was an Intercessor for being too candid with the mortals.

"Cassiel. Anteus Cassiel." He offered his hand, which she shook hesitantly.

Taiga looked to Saber then.

"You make call me Saber if you wish." And shook her hand as well with a smile that further calmed the typhoon.

"I assure you, Ms. Fujimura, we will not intrude for long. We simply wished to visit our old acquaintance and catch up with him. We are, again, sorry for your losses." Saber continued.

Taiga was now rather embarrassed now. She had jumped to conclusions again and almost assuredly offended at least one of them with her outburst.

Her face heated.

"Um… that's fine you can stay as long as you like."

Cassiel and Saber both nodded respectfully and cheerfully.

Cassiel then noticed the young girl who looked insanely uncomfortable standing close to Taiga and inclined his head.

"Good evening Miss…?"

"S-sakura. Sakura Matou." She finally got out in a voice that was more of a whisper than anything.

"It's a pleasure Ms. Matou."

She avoided eye contact and nodded in affirmation. She wasn't rude, anything but, however Cassiel realized that for everyone in the room but Saber, he was rather.

Well.

Intimidating.

Transhuman dread, as it was commonly known in his time, was a phenomenon that was unique among his kind and his cousins in the Adeptus Custodes. It was brought about by no conscious thought on his behalf, it simply was a byproduct of what he and they were. He had found that the simplest way to explain this phenomenon could be explained by how he, 2.35 meters of muscle, ceramite, and armed to the teeth with weapons that pushed the boundaries of what is fiction and what is not could move so fast that most normal humans couldn't even keep up with his movements. He was too large to move that quickly and efficiently. It could manifest in something as minor as a feeling of unease or wrongness in his presence to extremes such as losing control of their bowels.

Thankfully, all the cases present seemed to be of the minor sort.

Saber was a rare exception due to her own experiences as a warrior and her status as a Servant. Not to mention the two were allies and quickly establishing a friendship. But the other exception was a curious one. Taiga didn't seem unsettled by his presence in the least. There were tiny signs that showed her suspicion such as never quite taking her eyes off of him and a twitch of the brow, but nothing ever regarding fear.

Sakura moved to help Shirou with getting dinner to the table after he asked for the young girl's help. She seemed to light up when he called for her before rushing off leaving Saber and Cassiel with a very suspicious Taiga for a few moments.

She stared at the pair for a few moments before grinning and shifting gears to a more sociable attitude.

"So! Where are you two from? Did you know one another before meeting Kiritsugu?" Taiga asked, the commotion having ebbed entirely and her reverting back to her cheery self.

Saber cut in then, her own knowledge of the era was far surpassing Cassiel's due to the Grail giving her knowledge of the era.

"I am from a small town in Great Britain, Cassiel is from… London!"

She smiled and Cassiel nodded in affirmation.

"Ooooooooh!!! Sakura, did you hear that?! Maybe they could give you some thoughts on your western food?"

The violet haired girl seemed more subdued than before, likely due to sitting in such close proximity to the demigod of war and the strikingly beautiful woman.

"Y-yes. If you two don't mind."

Both of the new people smiled and nodded.

"Alright everyone dinner is served!"

As it was that morning, Cassiel was impressed by the young man's ability to cook. He had evidently mastered the art for some time and took great pride in his ability at it. The group continued to make small talk throughout the meal, mostly Taiga inquiring the two strangers about how they'd liked Fuyuki so far and if Shirou had been a good host much to his chagrin. They had remained cordial and polite and eventually the tension that plagued the atmosphere had exhausted itself completely. Even timid Sakura contributed though she still eyed Saber with suspicion and Cassiel with barely restrained fear.

At last, the guests left with Taiga pulling Shirou off to the side and reminding him to "not do as boys would do when there's a beautiful woman in the house."

Whatever that meant.

Cassiel had then donned his armor, double and triple checking his systems and the various fiber muscle bundles that the suit housed. They contracted as they were put in place and led to a moderate amount of pain and discomfort as the suit interfaced with his nerves directly. The process was slow compared to when the Techmarines and Tech Priests were lending assistance, but he could manage well enough. He was a Captain and not some wet behind the ears neophyte.

He placed the crested helm over his face and watch the High Gothic text roll across the screen before the Imperial Aquila appeared and the systems showed all green.

He was ready.

Cassiel strode into the dark courtyard where the Servant of the Sword waited. The moon was blocked by the clouds that heralded the coming storm. His own cogitator had confirmed what Shirou had warned of earlier in the evening. A large snowstorm, rather uncharacteristic for the area for this time of the year, was bearing down upon the small city. Cassiel paid the oddity no mind. He had fought upon worlds where it rained blood or mycetic spores.

A few flakes of snow wouldn't even slow him down.

Saber turned to the blue giant and he nodded back at her in turn. Words were unnecessary between the two parties at this point. They were warriors of equal ability and they knew what needed done.

But there was a problem.

Shirou was standing at the gate with a jacket on and a shinai in his hands.

"Shirou. What are you doing?" Cassiel asked. The vox grill over his face amplified his voice to a fear inducing level. Not only that, but once he was in his armor again the man who was speaking so cordially with Taiga and kindly to Sakura sounded… cold.

Inhuman and dangerous.

Shirou glanced at the two holes in the armor over Cassiel's chest.

"I'm coming with you."

A pause.

"No."

Shirou blinked at the cold refusal.

"But-"

"No. This is not the realm for those who are not warriors."

Shirou clenched his fist. He expected that it would take some convincing but he didn't expect such a harsh refusal.

"I can't just sit here. Who knows what the masters will do? I can't sit at home while they could be hurting innocents."

The red lenses stared at him.

"No. I understand your goal. But you cannot."

Shirou gritted his teeth in frustration but the conversation was over. The giant walked by and he got a brief look of sympathy Saber as she passed by him. But she did not object.

She knew as well as Cassiel that the war they were about the fight was not a place for a non-combatant such as he.

He watched them leave with defiance and made a choice.

As they left, the first snowflakes began to fall. They were heavy, bolstered by the moisture off the coast, and began sticking to the frozen ground almost immediately. It wasn't long before the flakes began to accumulate on his armor where the ceramite was still cold despite the power coursing through the circuits and cables. They walked through the more urbanized sections of the city and Cassiel couldn't help but notice how… clean everything looked. There was none of the smog or human refuse in the streets. Even when he wasn't actively fighting in those hells, Cassiel knew that death was abundant in the underhives.

During his tenure in the Deathwatch he had purged many a gang in conjunction with the Xeno infestations that had festered. Some of those he had killed had been nothing more than people desperate for a meal or some modicum of protection. Even in Ultramar, where the standard of living was by and far superior to the Imperial norm there was suffering and poverty. Simply because of what he was, he usually only saw the worst of worlds either by their own nature or their own unfortunate fate. Never once had he seen a city, let alone a world, truly at peace.

Nobody said the Emperor's Finest didn't have a few regrets. This was part and parcel to his genesire's inherent world view. Even in a dark millennium such as the one he had fought in, Roboute Guilliman remained an idealist and as a result his sons held that similar views.

Cassiel was among those especially in tuned with that goal. He had vague memory of Calth before it had become a world of catacombs and he held onto that view desperately.

The weather was worsening as time wore on and even Saber mentioned it may be best to return due to the poor visibility and the unlikeliness of finding a Master that could match his constitution. However, he wanted to investigate some things before returning.

First, he had been told by Shirou that there had been people found near death in the area near a park in the business district. His experience with the demonic gave him the suspicion that these victims were caused by unnatural means.

Secondly, he wished to give a certain young man a stern talking to for his recklessness. He had been paying attention to his auspex and noticed a single bloom of heat that had been following them for some time.

It didn't take a Librarian to figure out it was one Shirou Emiya that was foolish or brave enough to accompany the two on their patrol. Of course, Saber had known the boy had been following them and even offered to kindly escort him home.

Though that likely meant she would likely toss him over her shoulder and lecture him for the entire trip. But Cassiel had become rather fond of the lad because of his apparent bravery in the face of threats that surpassed his comprehension, and he wanted to see how far his resolve carried him.

They had been approaching a park in the downtown urbanized area of Fuyuki and Cassiel had stopped to observe a memorial plaque that commemorated the lives lost in the fire a decade before when Cassiel's auspex and auto senses began to go haywire. He had noted that when in close proximity to any Servant but his own, his armor's electronics would suffer though he didn't know why Saber's presence didn't do the same.

"Saber, contact."

He growled through his vox speaker.

She, of course, had already sensed the Servant and had readied her blade mere seconds before.

They had a plan for this very eventuality since Saber had informed him that mages would use tricks and cunning to confuse and disorient foes when possible. While this wasn't the result of any mage craft, the effect of the heavy snow and wind was still effective.

Cassiel drew his sword while cancelling the auspex with a thought before moving back to back with Saber. She had been skeptical initially due to Cassiel being a huge outlier in terms of Masters but relented when Cassiel proved he could keep up with the movements of a servant and he even likened her to his own brothers in arms.

She had been used to being a weapon or a tool and only just those for as long as she could remember that having someone treat her as not only a person but as a comrade was a welcome change. Ever since she had begun to know the man out of time, she had vowed he would at least survive this fiasco. She could do that much, she hoped.

The wind picked up more and began to howl around the pair. They were an island of blue in a sea of white as they began to circle around, looking for any sign of their enemy.

The first sign of attack from the threat was the sound of rattling chains. Cassiel was the first to pick out the sound due to his enhanced hearing from his transhuman physiology and his helmet but that wasn't enough to deal with the speed of their assailant.

The chain shot out with a spike on the end and was looking for Cassiel's head. He only just got the blade up in time to deflect the spike towards the ground. The chain retracted and Cassiel could hear movement in the distance over the sound of the whipping wind.

Saber flinched and gripped her sword tighter as the frustration of being so open without acting was getting to her. She was thankful her Master could defend himself in these situations, but she still wished to end the fight as soon as possible.

Shirou was still nearby and very much at risk.

The wind howled and the chain shot out again, this time for Saber. She slapped the nail away with the flat of her sword and grunted in annoyance.

Cassiel seemed to share the sentiment as well.

"Theoretical?" This time it was framed as a question. He was asking for any suggestions because the enemy was exploiting the only real deficiency in the pair's synergy. This was the lack of any real significant long-range capability. Cassiel had his pistol but he had mentioned it had a finite supply of shots and he would only use them sparingly

She deflected another blow. Before long, the servant would stop the probing and attacks and attack in earnest. Then they would truly be in trouble.

"Tch. If we could find the Master, we could force them into battle on our terms."

He also deflected a blow. They were increasing in volume now.

"Likelihood they'll be close?"

Numerous chains were coming from the snow now with each one becoming more accurate and using more force.

"Masters typically support Servants from nearby with spells."

This time there was no clang of steel deflecting steel.

There was a wet smack and a grunt of pain.

She turned and saw a dagger had penetrated one of the joints in Cassiel's armor near the armpit area. He pulled the dagger and tossed it away while hissing as the bright red blood ran down the plate and into the snow.

"I'll find them. Try to keep that one busy."

She nodded and prepared for the next strike.

Cassiel began switching through his helm's vision modes. The auspex was useless, as were the auto targeting systems, but his thermal and night vision suites were fully functional. He usually didn't need either because his enhanced vision typically handled any low light condition well enough, but there were moments like this when the elements disagreed with his objectives.

The eye lenses refocused and Cassiel was looking in a world of dark blue, the thermals showing just how cold the surrounding area was. He moved his head until….

There. A plume of yellow and red behind a low wall roughly fifty meters away.

"Found them. Engaging."

Saber was startled at how cold and analytical his voice sounded currently. He was normally a bit odd, but friendly enough and mostly overly polite. But this was the first time she'd conversed with the man in battle and his experience began to show. He lacked any hesitation when it came to his decisions. Cassiel was more weapon than man and these moments showed her precisely that.

The Astartes took off at a sprint, merely little more than a blue blur to any baseline human that may have been watching and covered the distance to his target in seconds. This was another factor in transhuman dread than affected his prey far more than it had to Taiga and Sakura earlier. The inhuman speed in which the Adeptus Astartes could move would surprise even a Servant, and the result on the human psyche was devastating.

Cassiel put his shoulder down and crashed through the bricks and the male hiding out of sight staggered back when the transhuman soldier burst through the wall to his right.

He was a little taller than Shirou and had a leaner build with blue hair and a look of utter terror as he stared into the red helm lenses of an Angel of Death.

"R-R-Rider!!! Come to me!!!"

The servant had evidently seen what the two had planned and arrived at roughly the same time as Cassiel. He had expected this to a degree and remained ready with his sword.

The servant burst from the storm in a blur of movement as she attempted to intercept the Astartes. She sent a pair of daggers with chains in the ends at the neck of the transhuman and was surprised he blocked one, and _caught_ the other, albeit with the dagger piercing the right gauntlet's soft seal in the palm.

She was awestruck for a split second as she saw the blood run down the chain as he gripped the dagger tightly.

No matter.

She landed between her master and the demigod of war and leapt with the other dagger in her hand to be used as a knife as she pulled on the other, hoping to unbalance him.

He didn't budge to her amazement and even attempted to strike at her as she passed under his guard, leaving a deep stab wound in the space between the abdominal plates.

He didn't even flinch as he swung down with a powerful punch that she only barely was able to dodge before leaping again, attempting to wrap the chain that was in his hand around his body before Saber could arrive in mere seconds.

The servant felt a tug on the chain and was shocked when he pulled her back towards him with a roar as he raised his sword.

She twisted in air, looking to block or parry the blow when she saw the bloody blue fist coming towards her.

He had tricked her.

The fist connected with her chest with enough force to shatter four ribs instantaneously.

Rider gasped at the mind searing pain that coursed throughout her body, but she was a servant, a heroic spirit, and it would take more than that to keep her down. She flipped with the momentum of the blow and landed unsteadily on her feet.

The bruise was already forming, and a thin line of blood trickled out of her mouth as she tried to breathe.

She might be a heroic spirit, but this strange master could hit as hard as any Greek hero.

Maybe harder.

She would likely be dead if she were anything other than a heroic spirit as she took stock of her wounds.

Multiple shattered ribs, a partially collapsed lung, other heavily bruising organs, and there was a bleed somewhere.

None were permanently debilitating for a being like her, but for the current fight they could be very problematic. However, nothing could be as problematic as her moronic 'Master'.

The fool hadn't even moved and was paralyzed by fear and awe.

Rider frowned in irritation and faced the Master of Saber again as he pulled the dagger out of his hand then and tossed it away. She watched the blood trickle onto the snow and noted it was far brighter than normal blood. Normal blood was red and bright, and she could smell the aroma of the vitae as one would smell a wine.

But this blood was beyond bright in its coloration, in the snow and dark it was almost translucent. Where human blood smelled like wine this smelled like a hard liquor that had been distilled innumerable times and concentrated until it would put you blind if you took a sip of it.

Her mind worked as she readied for another strike and she determined this Master wasn't human. Not in the traditional sense.

Rider charged low to the ground where the giant, even taller than her, would be at a disadvantage. The Master stabbed out with his crackling sword and she moved with a kick to the ground to throw a dagger at his throat.

"SABER, NOW!"

The being roared as a cold, metal hand grabbed her ankle.

The sword had been a ploy again, she realized, and she saw a flash of blue and silver.

Rider didn't feel the sword almost cut her in half in one fell swoop. She was lucky in the extreme that the blade hadn't bifurcated her right then and there because of her forward momentum that had thrown off Saber's strike only fractionally.

She was slammed to the earth with bone shattering force as the giant used his grip to hurl the servant into the remnants of the wall he had burst through.

The battle had lasted precisely 5.79 seconds according to his chronometer.

Cassiel nodded to Saber as thanks for the assist as he looked upon the Servant's crumpled body with a neutral expression.

"Threat neutralized."

He returned the power sword to its scabbard, not seeing the terrified young man as a threat worth the blade's cutting edge. The young magus seemed to be panicking now as he held the book in a trembling hand. "RIDER!!! You useless bitch, I command you to kill them! Get up now and kill them both!!"

The book glowed and Cassiel noticed the critically injured Rider attempting to rise despite her wounds. She began to cough up blood as she unsteadily rose to her knees, one hand with a nail and the other desperately attempting to hold her innards in their correct spots.

Cassiel's fist tightened with such force that the pain from the previous wound began to bleed again and the ceramite creaked as a brief rage overtook him. The Servant had fought well despite how quickly the bout had been settled because her practical had been sound though her theoretical had a critical lack in the knowledge of his capabilities. She deserved a warrior's death. Not in defense of this… trash.

"Silence filth. Can you not see she has no more left to give? Give your warrior some respect and allow her to leave this world with dignity. She has earned that much." Cassiel spoke as the vox grill made his command seem impossibly loud and overbearing. To the young magus, it seemed as if he had angered a god of old, and in a way he was correct. The young magus was trembling in pure terror and Cassiel noticed with not a little contempt and disgust as a dark stain spread down the boy's pant leg.

Cassiel took his silence as affirmation. And Rider collapsed back into the rubble, gasping as the pain racked her body.

Cassiel had long ago learned the value of a wide variety of skills and specializations and as a result, he had elected to volunteer for as many different combat placements as possible among the various specializations offered to his Primaris brothers.

One such role was that of the Reiver.

The Reiver was a special form of close combat specialist that excelled in the art of striking fear into the hearts of their enemies. They were terror weapons and while Cassiel hadn't enjoyed the admittedly grisly and honorless work, he had learned the practical benefit of scaring the enemy to the point of near madness.

"Were you attacking innocents in the area?" He asked plainly though the undertone of menace and promise of a painful end was almost manifesting it was so strong. He purposely turned the vox grill's distortion and volume up to the point of being painful for the mortal at this range.

The boy froze up then and Cassiel knew the boy had. But amazingly the arrogance of the youth gave him a shot of bravery.

If only for a moment.

"A-and what if I did!? It's their fault for being out so late and alone! They should be honored to help my family get the grail!"

Cassiel growled in disgust as he reached for his knife. He would skewer this honorless dog and leave him to bleed in the streets.

"WAIT!!!" A familiar and panicked voice called out.

Cassiel turned to see Shirou sprinting towards them to stand between the young magus and the Angel of Death. Cassiel cocked his eyebrow as the youth heaved and held his arms out stand between them.

"You don't have to kill him! His servant is all but eliminated! Look!"

It was true, the servant seemed to be fading as her life drained more and more onto the street.

"Move." Growled the Space Marine.

Amazingly, Shirou only flinched slightly but he held his ground. He was either brave or foolish.

"No!! He doesn't have to die! Nobody has to die!"

The rather ungrateful Master behind Shirou came to his wits then. Well, wits would be putting it generously because the Master had a look that Cassiel had seen many times.

The look of the unhinged, of the feral, of the near mad.

He opened the book before Cassiel could move Shirou out of the way. Cassiel wasn't fearful of what magus could do but after his run in with Rin, he was open to caution regarding any of them.

He grabbed Shirou as delicately as he could without shattering the boy's bones and shielded him with his ceramite and transhuman muscle as the shadows blasted forwards.

Cassiel rocked as the blades struck his armor and he waited for any aftereffects.

There were none as the weak blades broke upon the inviolable ceramite plate. In a flash, Cassiel had dropped Shirou unceremoniously to the ground and moved upon the magus who had attacked them.

Shinji Matou didn't feel the blow that killed him for it had impacted him faster than he could perceive. He looked down and merely saw a blue arm that had pierced his chest, annihilated his lungs, diaphragm, his heart, and was protruding out of his back. His eyes widened in shock and pain as his nervous system and brain finally caught up with his quickly approaching death. Shinji coughed up blood and feebly gasped, trying in vain to draw air into his nonexistent lungs several times before the arm was harshly retracted with a sickening crunch as his pulverized ribs were bent outwards. Shinji Matou died moments later as he fell forwards and choked on his own blood.

Cassiel shook the blood of the wretch from his gauntlet with disgust as Shirou looked on with horror in his eyes. This horror quickly changed to anger as he watched the growing puddle of blood spreading out from his former friend's chest.

"What the hell was that!?" Shirou shouted at the space marine. Even Saber flinched at the anger in Shirou's voice as she watched Rider desperately attempt to hold herself together.

"The theoretical is simple. He tried to kill you and I." Cassiel said emotionlessly. In truth, he had felt nothing as he effortlessly killed his enemy. He regretted how young the Master had been, it was true, but the fool should've known when he was beaten. He wouldn't have killed the youth had he agreed to surrender his command spells and leave the war. He wasn't unreasonable against normal non-combatants or prisoners such as the Marines Malevolent were.

But the fool had made his bed. Now he could lay in it for all time.

"The practical is that I remedied that problem. Permanently."

Shirou shook with anger and for a moment, Cassiel thought he was about to strike him. But the youth took a few calming breaths.

He was against killing, but he still wouldn't hesitate to defend himself if it was needed. He gazed upon the mutilated remains of Shinji Matou again and thought of the spell Shinji had used. Had Cassiel not guarded him with his own body, Shirou knew he would be dead right now. He didn't have any time to dodge the unexpected attack and it would have cut his body apart.

Then his memories of the bruises he had found on Sakura brushed his consciousness and the needless cruelty with which Shinji had treated Sakura.

Dammit.

He gritted his teeth and nodded once.

"How am I going to explain this to Sakura…?" He said sadly as the tension left his body.

Cassiel had his head tilted in question, but before Shirou could elaborate a voice cut through the snow and wind, the matter of which was finally dying down.

"Good grief… I always knew that boy was useless, but this is embarrassing. His first fight with a servant and he fails so spectacularly."

Cassiel turned to the eery voice and set his hand on the hilt of his sword while consciously putting himself between the figure and Shirou. He saw an elderly man in almost what seemed like a robe with a cane. The man almost looked…sickly. He had a sunken face and pale skin and his limbs seemed little more than bone with skin attached loosely to it.

Cassiel felt a chill run up his spine that was reminiscent of a primal warning that was deep in his genetic code. Fear had been bred out of him, strained as one would remove pulp from a juice, but there were still deep warnings embedded into his and every human's very DNA.

This seemingly harmless old man was beyond dangerous.

His twin hearts beat in unison and his suit and body shot combat chemicals into his veins as his muscles tensed in preparation for a battle like few he had been in before. He had fought the likes of Daemon Princes, Chaos Lords, Tyranid bio-horrors, and Necron technological abominations and few had elicited quite the response from the Captain that this old human did.

The man waved to Rider after collecting the book that Shinji had dropped. "Rider. Go away from this place."

The crippled servant vanished into thin air. This left Saber free to come to her Master's side at last.

Saber was nearly as tense as Cassiel as the old man's gaze lingered near the corpse of the slain Master of Rider.

"Master… this man…" she said, caution thick in her voice.

"Isn't human." He finished as his mind worked in overdrive.

Theoretical: Saber had said that a magus can cast off their humanity for power.

Practical: This man is an abomination not much different from a possessed.

The old man glanced up with a smile. "I don't believe we have met. I am Zouken Matou and I have had the… displeasure of raising this one."

Theoretical: This man could likely kill us all with ease right now.

Cassiel was silent for a moment as the snow fell around them. He then drew the plasma pistol and shot the old man in the chest with the force of a small sun. The bolt of plasma ignited the man like a blowtorch would ignite dried wood and there was shrill screeching as the things that made up the body of Zouken died.

Practical: Kill him first.

Unsurprisingly, the man was atomized in a blast of vapor and heat that instantly melted all the snow around the scene. After the shot, all that could be heard was the ground cooling and steam rising into the frigid air. Smoke rose from the barrel of the Sunwrath pistol as Cassiel replaced the weapon into its cured leather holster.

The three remaining living souls were silent for a moment as the shock of the scene wore off.

"Master?" Saber finally spoke.

Cassiel relaxed ever so slightly and turned to his comrade and the boy with his body ever so slowly going from combat ready to at rest.

"He was dangerous… more than dangerous. The only practical was his death."

Saber and even Shirou nodded at that. Saber, being the experienced warrior in her own right could feel the danger pouring off the man, but even Shirou could feel a palpable sense of foreboding and malice coming from Zouken.

Cassiel checked the area once more before nodding to Saber and both turned to the youth whose life was about to be forfeit.

"Shirou."

Shirou straightened because knew that tone of voice.

Before he was unceremoniously hoisted off the ground by the nape of his neck.

As Shirou received his dressing down by a both Saber and Cassiel for his recklessness and sheer foolishness, none of the three noticed a single singed worm crawl into a nearby storm drain that had been freed of snow by the short presence of a small sun mere feet away.

The lecture persisted nearly constantly as the party returned to the Emiya estate. By the time the group entered the courtyard, Shirou was thoroughly chastised. Though he had explained his actions as watching over his guests until a doubtful gaze from both parties eventually coerced the true motivation for his stunt.

Though he hadn't lied to the pair, strictly speaking, because he had indeed worried about them being out in the city without a guide. He also had not told the truth. In truth he wanted to see how the fought and acted in the hopes that he could learn and fulfill his dream of becoming a superhero.

This had clearly not gone over well with the giant in blue.

"Pardon my language Saber, but Shirou are you fracking insane or dumb!?" Cassiel hissed. He had removed his helmet now and let the chilly air cool his head. The combat stims had left some aftereffects in his body and the frigid night air was just what the apothecary prescribed.

Shirou hung his head low. He would normally be defiant in the face of the lecture, but not many people could remain inviolable in the face of the beating across the head and shoulders he had received by a hero of legend and a man who could match servants in close combat.

Cassiel exhaled and his anger left him at last. He had often heard that Lord Guilliman had quite a temper from Captain Sicarius, and he had to assume this was something he passed on to him. He looked at the downcast face of Shirou and felt the ever-slight twinge of guilt.

His old Sergeant had warned him of his soft heart.

"However," Cassiel began. "It is admirable that you wished to ensure our safety. It was foolish beyond belief, but you are a man of honor and I can at least acknowledge that."

Shirou brightened a little at that.

"But!" Cassiel raised a finger to the boy's face. "Do that again without mine or Saber's explicit permission and I will break one of your legs."

Shirou gulped. Wait. Permission?

"You mean…?"

Saber looked unhappy and Cassiel merely shrugged at the servant of the sword with a cocksure grin on his face. She rolled her eyes and sighed at her Master's antics. He clearly had grown fond of the boy in the short time they had known one another.

"Fine. But on the condition that he receive some form of training so that he knows how to avoid danger." She finally consented.

"Naturally." Cassiel said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Shirou Emiya gulped again.

This was going to hurt.

Zouken Matou was not a happy man at this moment in time. That fool in the blue armor had no idea how much of a hassle it was to procure a new body on such short notice. It was honestly rude of the man to shoot him without provocation. Not to mention he killed his admittedly useless grandson and had even managed to seriously wound Rider.

"Good grief. Kids these days have no respect." He said evenly as the worms consumed his most recent victim, a relatively healthy salaryman living near to the battle that had the unfortunate luck of working overtime that night.

Oh well.

The awful crunching and tearing sounds continued until he was able to assume his human form once more and stood in his own hunched way before strolling towards the tall mountain in the distance.

There was work to do now because Shinji's death would work beautifully in his own plans for his adopted granddaughter.

But first, he thought with a smile, he must acquire his own servant.

Saber was complaining to Cassiel again about his wounds. Ever since the previous night she had made it a point to remind the stubborn warrior that medical treatment was not negotiable for him regardless of his body's strange ability to take punishment.

As soon as Shirou had been sent to bed with a further lecture by both of them, she had begun grousing at her Master. He eventually relented when she lightly struck the deep wound in his side and he inhaled sharply as pain shot through the area.

Several minutes later he had shed his armor and Saber was treating the several deep stab wounds he had received. Strangely, they hadn't stopped bleeding yet, and Saber guessed it was an effect of Rider's daggers.

However, more disturbing than his new wounds were his old ones when he removed the top half of his body suit. She had gasped when she saw just how much of his body was scar tissue in some form. There were long, deep lacerations, shorter stab wounds, burns, gunshot wounds, shrapnel scars, and ugly surgery scars. On top of many were various tattoos in a strange language that was was reminiscent of latin, depictions of a two headed eagle, and on his back were names by what she could tell. A very long list of names.

Cassiel could seem to read her mind as he answered her without her prompting. They both had the habit of doing that it seems.

"They were my brothers lost over the years either under my command or ones I would consider friends. The symbols to the left are their chapter and the border around their names is the company."

She pressed the bandage onto the wound to staunch the blood loss before sealing the sides with medical tape. With some luck, it would be enough to hold it until they could change it in the morning.

Something was bothering Saber as she gazed upon the names on his back again. There were over three dozen etched into the flesh with painstaking care with various symbols and colors, but the last third of their number shared the "U" and black outline of his shoulder plate. What would it take to kill a man like him? And in numbers such as this?

She had personally witnessed him fighting three servants and in all cases he was fighting them on equal footing.

A normal human would be hard pressed to survive, let alone win, against a heroic spirit but he hardly seemed to break his stride.

She was no stranger to war, but what had her Master fought in order to attain these wounds and lose that many? Many of these wounds would be fatal several times over for a human, so what is he?

"As you can tell, the times in which I lived are not kind. Unlike here." He gestured around the home. The only lights were in the living area where their makeshift medical ward was.

"These peaceful times… I don't know what to do with myself in times like this. I can't remember a time when there wasn't a war to be fought."

She could sympathize with that.

When she had been training for the time when she would pull her sword from the stone, Britain had been in turmoil. The Roman Empire had been self destructing and had left her home in a time of strife and war as barbarians came to victimize her people. She had been raised as a knight to be the King of Knights and as a result she had become something both more and less than human. This had led to her demise and it was a path full of regret.

A hill covered in corpses flashed in her mind.

In him she saw a kindred spirit of sorts. That would explain their similarity in thought process and temperament, but there was something else. She had a feeling that, like her, he was made into what he was. He never had a choice in his destiny and was at the mercy of the rolling tides of fate when he was made into a weapon without equal.

He stood, apparently in thought, and stepped to the glass the separated the frigidly cold outdoors with the warm indoors.

"Humor me?" He asked to which she nodded.

"Theoretical…" He began before pausing and collecting his thoughts.

"The Grail cannot grant the wish I want."

A pause.

"Practical?"

This wasn't a statement, but a question.

What now?

What does a weapon do when it's consigned to its sheath forever?

"Um…what would you want to do?"

He blinked and looked… confused. It was the look of honest puzzlement.

"I don't know."

Cassiel said with no emotion whatsoever. That was the scary part for Saber. She had only known her Master for a day but she had been able to pick up on his mannerisms a small degree. This was partly due to the Master-Servant relationship, but also because he was a rather interesting fellow. He was more reserved and seemed out of touch with people but he wasn't completely negligent. She noted that when speaking to her, there was a certain degree of mutual respect and slight deference in his tone and he treated her as a comrade.

When interacting with Shirou, Sakura, or Taiga, there was a slight gentleness or a deliberate and conscious effort for him to not accidentally harm them.

But now his face was creased with doubt.

The clock struck the top of the hour as the pair sat in silence and this seemed to strike Cassiel out of his thoughts.

"Saber you should rest. Our battle went well and I remain impressed by your prowess and intuition."

Saber blushed at the abrupt praise.

"Master, you should rest also. You are wounded again."

He glanced at the bandage with the bright red stain on his side.

"I shall be fine."

Her worries expression turned to one of annoyance.

"I will rest Saber don't worry. I just have much on my mind at present and wish to be alone."

She wanted to say something more but she understood his feelings. He needed to think for the time being

"I understand. Good night Master."

He inclined his head and she stood to go to the out building.

Cassiel watched Saber as she disappeared behind the door of the guest house before he sagged ever so slightly.

His doubts weighed heavily upon him. He had latched onto the promise of returning to his time without a solid theoretical to base it upon.

To his shame, it was desperation.

Everything he had known had been obliterated in one fell swoop. In a single instant he went from a Captain of the Ultramarines Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes to…

What?

What is he now?

_Who _is he now?

In his time, he had killed thousands of men, women, monsters, and anything else his cruel galaxy could throw at him. He had led armies of baseline humans and his company of one hundred battle-brothers against the warband of Ma'loth The Flayed, Hive Fleet Leviathan, daemonic incursions, and the Tau.

But what could he do here? In this time of peace?

The silent night mocked him as he stared into Terra's clear skies.

Saber had fallen asleep the moment her head had hit the pillow. She wasn't exhausted, far from it because the battle previously had been so short lived, but she had wanted to preserve her magical energy as much as possible.

Cassiel was far from a bad Master but it was clear he was no magus. At least not a formally trained one.

His magical energy was flowing but not freely. It seemed…. Constrained or directed elsewhere and the result was she was only getting a small stream of energy.

However, her sleep had been far from a restful one. Her 'dreams' were glimpses into his past and it was a rather dark past, even to her. The grunting was different from the screaming of her last dream.

The last dream had red clad giants fighting their blue clad counterparts in what could best be described as orgies of ultra violence with the sheer scale of which left her speechless as an entire planet died.

A name flashed in her mind as she recalled what the world's name was.

Calth.

But these grunts weren't those of rage or fear. They were held back in desperation of not showing weakness.

She saw a young boy, no more than ten at the very most, on a sterile surgery table.

Hunched over the boy with dozens of surgery implements coming from thing protruding from its back was a figure in a red robe.

It cut and the boy squirmed as the blood flowed from the wound while a syringe injected something into the bone and another into the muscles.

Then another.

And another.

And another.

And another.

For hours the cutting and injections never stopped and not once did the boy on the table cry. Tears welled in his eyes, but he never sobbed and he never cried out despite the total lack of anesthetics.

There would be breaks of hours, months, years, centuries, but the cutting would never truly stop for well over a millennium.

And never once did the boy cry.

Not when his muscles grew painfully, not when his bones creaked and he groaned in agony as they grew before his very eyes, nor when his entire body was sliced open and titanium was woven into his muscles.

Organs were added and his skin was flayed as a layer of sockets was hooked directly to his nerves.

A second heart and organs Saber knew were added and not natural.

His brain and skull were split open and more was added to the as the boy no longer even winced.

The final hammer to the blade was dealt and the blade was doused as the boy was frozen in cryostasis.

He slept.

There were no dreams, only disorientation as he awoke for an injection or for a new training program to be inserted into his casket.

He slept as time passed and the galaxy burned around him and his tomb on Mars.

He slept and went through thousands of simulations as his body lay inert. In these simulations, the sword stoked his hatred as he relived his home dying again and again. There was no room in him for anything other than hate and vengeance. Every ounce of brain power he possessed went towards the singular purpose of killing. Killing humans, killing xenos, killing the very nightmares that stalked the dark.

Then a fire was lit again. It had been dim for millennia as he slept. He had no idea what it was, but he was aware it was incredibly important to him in some way almost as if it was a part of him.

More time passed and the fire was close, incredibly close, so close he was afraid it would burn him. But it never did, in fact, the flame seemed soothing like a balm to him.

The sword heard a faint voice. It was rich and strong, if a bit sad, and is resonated deep in his consciousness as he heard the first words his Primarch had said within 'earshot' of him in millennia.

"Wake them Cawl. Now is the time."

She bolted up and gripped her shirt over her heart. She felt phantom pains of the surgeries all over the body for a moment as she came to her senses at last. Saber was never the most emotional of sort, not since she had taken the crown.

But she noted a single tear fall down her cheek as the vivid memories faded and she felt sorrow for the man… was he a man?

She remembered the additional organs, the titanium, the black layer under his skin, and shuddered as the thought of enduring that crossed her mind again.

She glanced out the window and saw her Master, no, Cassiel sitting Japanese style in the living area next to the dinner table with his eyes closed.

He had changed out of the bloody body suit and was in dressed in the track suit Shirou had found for him.

He seemed almost at peace at a glance until she saw his furrowed brow and his tense posture.

Cassiel was dreaming again, he realized as his mind floated. He was aware of his faculties now as the world materialized around him. He saw the world through the eyes of a young girl, roughly fourteen

Terran standard years of age as she practiced swinging the large long sword. She was young, but strong and she was agile enough to keep up with the old knight who had raised her as they sparred in the early afternoon.

She had done well, finally learning from her mistakes, and was holding her own against the older knight. The young girl seemed happy at that, because she was fiercely competitive, and it showed when she came close to winning.

Th bout ended with the old knight winning again, much to her great annoyance, as she picked herself off the ground.

The memory faded as the knight patted her on her head and sent her to take care of the horses.

She loved taking care of the horses.

It faded back in as another bout was taking place. The girl was older now, her mannerisms more refined and disciplined, her movements more efficient and clinical, and she was more confident in herself and her abilities.

She won for the first time and she could not be happier. The sheer joy on her face as she jumped in celebration while the old knight picked himself up was of the purest sort. She bounded around and yelled in joy and triumph as her years of work and training finally bore fruit.

Cassiel could feel the warmth of pure joy as the blurry face of the old knight faded away.

The sight of the happy scene had faded and Cassiel was being made aware of an entirely different situation. The girl was older still and had earned many scars and accolades.

Not a single one of those mattered now because her foe was herself this time.

The young woman stood before the brilliantly bright blade that had impaled the rock with a feeling of apprehension and…. What was that?

Cassiel could feel what she felt and as a result he had felt the creeping feeling of unease, the ice pit in the stomach, the cold sweat, and the elevated heart rate of a phenomenon he had never felt before known as fear. The shaking, calloused hand reached out and grasped the hilt of the sword.

The Holy Sword, he thought.

He saw the girl pull the sword, the same sword that dozens of knights before her had failed to even budge, and begin to draw that magnificent blade from the stone.

The girl stopped pulling abruptly.

She knew that her life would be forever changed if she continued to pull this blade from the stone. There would be no turning back from her destiny once the sword was hers and this was likely her last act as a normal human.

She continued to pull the sword and it at last came free and for a moment nothing seemed to be amiss.

Then the bright light engulfed her and she started her long trek down a difficult path.

Cassiel awoke with a start. His hearts hammered in chest as if he was preparing for battle and adrenaline coursed in his veins. His eyes darted from side to side and even though he could immediately tell there was no danger, his mind was disquieted. He glanced at the clock in the room and it's hand indicated it was roughly 0400 Terran standard.

What are these dreams? Where are they coming from?

What is causing them?

He shook his head and stood.

He needed to think. He needed to do something. His kind was never meant to be idle.

Cassiel decided to go for a run. It was a simple but often cathartic exercise for him and when in transit to Macragge or another friendly port he had often took up running the length of whichever strike cruiser he had happened to be stationed to at the time. He retrieved his knife and stashed the blade in his sleeve before opening the storage compartment on his his backpack. He remained silent so as to not disturb Saber's slumber.

Inside the compartment was a small stash of emergency rations, a small copy of the Codex Astartes, and a Guardian Bolt Pistol and ammunition for the venerable weapon.

It had been made for Cassiel by his Watch Fortress after he almost singlehandedly fought his way to the Hive Tyrant of a Tyranid swarm that had nearly overrun an imperial forgeworld.

The act had nearly killed him and it had lead to his entire Killteam being slaughtered by the monstrosities, but the mission had been done.

The weapon itself was a work of art. It was made along the same pattern as the standard bolt pistol his other Primaris brethren used across the Imperium. However, instead of the skull and wing sigil of the Adeptus Astartes on the side, the pistol had the skull and bones crossed over an 'I' of the Deathwatch and in the other side was a golden outlined Ultima. The casing itself was a rich ebony that contrasted the well oiled gunmetal of the frame.

He grabbed the master crafted weapon and a couple magazines of standard bolts before stashing the weapon in a holster beneath his jacket.

Cassiel navigated the dark corridors as if they were fully lit due to his genehanced eyes and found the shoes he had been given before slipping them on. They were small but he paid it no mind as he stepped into the cold morning air.

The sun was rising now.

The sky was a was a pinkish-red as the orb of Sol crested over the horizon. There was often an old saying he had heard from the fishermen on Macragge that saw this as an ill omen. He held little concern for such wise tales, but then again it was well known that any person that had inhabited the seas or the void for an extended period of time often were a superstitious bunch for good reason.

He inhaled deeply and kicked off, not noticing the skull masked figure in rags tailing him as he ran down the road.


	4. Chapter 3

-Happy New Year's everyone!!

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season with Christmas and New Years.

I can now officially say I have 2020 vision!

HAH!

Anyways, we have a little more development for the blue boy today and we explore his service oriented nature a little, and we get some more into how he is slowly getting accustomed to his new environment.

I mean he's over 200 years old and has been to dozens, if not hundreds, of planets. So I believehe could adapt relatively quickly.

BUUUUUUUT that doesn't mean he still doesn't have doubts or concerns.

We also are going into more depth into how the geneseed organs benefit his kind in these unusual situations.

Part of this is to explain to those Nasuverse fans who aren't too familiar with with 40k just how inhuman a Space Marine actually is and for good storytelling because a Space Marine's physiology is a big part of who and what they are.

Alright, now for questions and comments. For future reference, please don't hesitate to ask if you wish for me to explain something in a PM or something or leave a review. I'm more than happy to elaborate into something AND it helps me improve as a writer because I didn't go enough into a subject.

OKAY Q and A:

Tl34lt12:

HMMMM…. He's not pragmatic enough to be a Blue Boi or noble enough to be a Hawk Boi. I PERSONALLY think Shirou would be a fantastic Salamander due to his compulsion to save others even if it kills him.

As for Sieg or Hakuno?

Hm…

I'm gonna be honest, I only watch Apocrypha for Jeanne and Mordred and not much else.

As for Hakuno?

I don't know their character enough from Extra/CCC/Extella so I cant give a good opinion at the moment.

And please do not speak of HIM…. HE has hurt the reputation of the blue lads irreparably and GW SHOULD'VE NEVER REHIRED HIM!!!!

Dragon lord syed 101:

I personally find the grimdark aspect of HF to be fitting… BUUUUT don't assume it's gonna follow that route to a T ;)

MendicantBias219:

Again, thank you for your kind words!!!

Okay firstly, FOR THE EMPEROR!!!!

Ahem.

And yes, Cassiel hasn't…. exactly had a good life. I'll get more into that later, however, and you can see what he's been through. But because of that, he is able to understand Saber far better than most considering how Guilliman has taught his warriors to be statesmen AND soldiers while Artoria was basically born to be a king. Destiny and the teachings of a Primarch are comparable right?

I agree. BUUUT I can't go more into things because… well… reasons ;)

It is very difficult in a way. But, Macragge itself isn't as much of a shithole as most of the Imperium. At worst, a place like Japan might make him feel homesick because the people's values are reminiscent of both Calth (his birth world) and Macragge (the Chapter's home planet).

And you'll be happy to know I took your advice so thank you again for that! As for Hassan… well…. 

ShortyMcCoy:

HMMMM… Lamenters would also be a good choice… but I don't know about EMIYA. He's a bit too cynical for that in my opinion.

HOWEVER! I'm happy to be proven wrong.

GoldLion777:

Hmm… well, being that he's an Astartes, he'd put Kiritsugu to shame in efficiency imho but… hmmm… there's also the fact he has Guilliman's blood in his veins.

Dilangp1999:

Gotta love the grimdark ;)

As for Gilga… well it would heavily on which iteration imho

Odin's eye:

Words cannot describe how hard I laughed at Shirou's new parents being

1\. Artoria Pendragon. Like holy shit the scoldings

2\. A Space Marine, a Captain at that.

Someone press F in the chat for our boy.

Fox McCloud:

This is why we shun members of the Inquisition.

Harshly.

Guest:

Thanks :D

He's a good lad.

NOW!!!

Before we begin, I have a couple links for those who are curious about how Cassiel looks because I actually have 2 miniatures of him painted up. They'll be on my Insta that's pretty much 90% minis and games so give a follow if you want.

The first one will be him in the armor he is in during the story with his pistol and a powerfist.

The second will feature his sword and is actually him before he lost his arm.

Just remove the parenthesis and go.

https(/)ww(w).in(DELETETHIS)stagram(.)com/p/B6Hfq3uA1N/?igshid=13gw0p6z00mot

https(/)ww(w).instag(DELETETHIS)ram(.)com/p/B6ue4UEgT5T/?igshid=4prvipdpwlm9

Alright, without further delay:

Theoretical Part 3

Cassiel ran in the frigid morning air. The air itself wasn't much different than the air near Fortress Hera on Macragge save for the somewhat thinner air on the Ultrmarines' home planet. He equalized the breaths he took and started to get into a good rhythm after the fifth kilometer. It was much longer than usual but this run was more of an exercise in meditation than a training exercise, not to mention the still healing wounds on his chest, side, and arm.

He would excuse the slip just this once.

Cassiel had started his run by lapping the older, more residential section of town. He moved at a rather leisurely pace and took in the sights. The buildings passing by him were unfamiliar in their construction. He had been used to huge hab blocks and continent spanning Hive Cities and when he saw how… cozy these dwellings seemed, he found himself envious of all things. He didn't require such luxury as these, but he couldn't help but notice that these people seemed happy for the most part.

He passed early risers and people going to work and kept running, catching the eyes of them all. He wasn't exactly the most subtle of people, but he had done well to conceal his more obvious outlying qualities such as the still bloody wounds, the sockets for the power armor's neural links, and his augmetic arm.

That last part had been tricky to solve but he had elected to wrap medical tape around it and leave it like that. It wouldn't hinder his movements and he could walk around relatively anonymously.

He eventually came to the bridge that divided the old and new parts of town and crossed it without a moment's hesitation.

He ran more, sweat finally starting to trickle onto his brow as he passed shop after shop. He couldn't help but notice how colorful it all was and it troubled him more and more the longer he stayed.

Everything here was so… how could he put it?

Not pristine.

But perhaps not defiled or dirty.

He noted that the taller buildings seemed rather pleasant to live or work in… the strangeness was agitating for one who had fought for well over two hundred years to give humanity a better future to see humanity's past was better.

Finally, at the fifteen-kilometer mark, the transhuman warrior stopped at the park he had fought at the night before. Whoever was overseeing this 'war' had been thorough since he only spotted minor missed areas where evidence could be such as the charred crater that had been one Zouken Matou. He spat at the place where the Master of Rider and his Grandfather died before resuming his run without a second thought.

His run continued until well after the sun had completely risen. He began to see more and more people go to work or schola, and he noted their stares as he passed by. He wasn't self-conscious per se, but the fact that these people didn't fall fall on their knees and worship him was a highly welcome change from his time. Even on Macragge he and his brothers were treated as deities by the local populace and this bothered him on a level that he couldn't adequately describe.

It was hours before Cassiel finally stopped his run. By his calculations, he had been running for two hours and three minutes and had covered roughly forty-five kilometers before he finally relented.

His mind had calmed with the light exercise significantly and he inhaled deeply, letting the cool ocean air wash over him.

He had somehow ended near the downtown area again and the morning commute had significantly picked up with the streets crowded with people bundled up against the early morning chill. Cassiel, with his advanced physiology, found the chilly air highly refreshing and not at all uncomfortable as he walked down the street. Birds began to chirp as the sunlight broke the chill.

Cassiel strode calmly as he made his way to the Emiya residence, but along the way as he was strolling by a small store, he noticed the employees struggling with a bunch of heavy sacks and other implements.

Evidently it was stock for the store and the employees had nowhere near enough help.

Before he knew what he was doing, he had walked up to the two overworked employees, obviously scaring the older gentleman greatly.

"Excuse me. You seem to need some assistance?"

Both of the employees stared at one another for a moment before shrugging and nodding.

"Uh, sure! Just grab as many as you can and follow us."

Cassiel looked at the various stacks and grabbed ten bags labeled "flour". He had thought he had made a mistake when the pair paled at his action until their faces brightened and the younger one whooped with joy and relief.

Several hours later, all the stock was inside the store stockroom and stacked neatly to his own exacting specifications. He was thanked several times for his selfless help and the pair basically forced him to take some manner of reward.

Something about not wanting selfless help help going unrewarded or something. And so Cassiel was walking with a small radio in a bag that was identical to the one that had been playing in the store.

Cassiel had stopped in the middle of lifting several heavy cases of canned goods upon hearing the music coming from the radio. It was rather… well, odd when compared to the music he had heard in his time.

Being that Space Marines are completely martial in nature, often the only music they hear are their battle hymns, triumphant music, and other parade styles or gothic chanting.

In short, it was all rather somber and downcast for the most part.

However, he had noticed with some surprise that the music coming from the device was rather upbeat and happy. It was strange but not at all unwelcome in the slightest.

Cassiel's vision fell upon another person whose vehicle had stalled.

"Well… I suppose helping someone else won't take too long."

XXXX

It was now well past lunch time and Cassiel dusted his hands off as the construction workers thanked him for his help moving several dozen bags of quick cement. He had expected to be done after pushing the small vehicle to allow it to start, but that had taken him from one job to another.

It seems that the strength and stamina of a transhuman super soldier was always needed.

He looked around his surroundings and noticed he had somehow ended up near the schola Shirou went to and Taiga taught at.

By his accounts, instructors in this time were far more lax and generally more pleasant than those in his time if a bit more energetic to say the least.

He wandered near the front gate and eyed the building. Something about it seemed… off about the schola grounds. Something was deeply wrong with the air around this area but he couldn't quite tell exactly what it was. It reminded him of the feeling he got when a Synapse creature was nearby or when he had assault ritual shrines of the Great Enemy. It had an oppressive, heady feeling to it like when the servants of the damned god Khorne were on the field. It was like breathing air the consistency of blood.

His natural hand flexed into a fist as his body unconsciously went into a more combat ready state as his hearts began beat in unison. Nothing was wrong at the moment, but whatever was plotting something here would have to be rooted out soon.

He was thrown back into reality as he heard a soft voice call out to him.

"Um…. Excuse me?"

Cassiel turned around to see a small woman with violet hair struggling to meet his gaze.

"Oh. Ms. Matou, good afternoon, how may I help you?" He asked the young woman with as kind of a smile as he could manage.

She still failed to meet his gaze, though she smiled politely.

"Um… Mr. Cassiel, what brings you here?"

Ah.

Well, he couldn't just say he just ended up here on accident, now could he?

"I decided to go for a walk to clear my head. The weather was quite nice today. Why do you ask?"

"Oh. Well… I would hate to impose but do you mind giving us a hand? We have some things in the archery dojo that we need some help moving…. If you don't mind? Senpai had to hurry home this evening and some of the training aids are rather bulky for us in the archery club to move alone."

Cassiel nodded and walked to the dojo with Sakura where he was greeted rather energetically by Taiga who looked at him as if he was a gift from some heaven above.

"AH! Finally! Some real back up!" Taiga called as she wiped some sweat from her forehead after setting a heavy box down with a huff before running over to the admittedly odd pair.

"I will offer any assistance I can, if you will allow me to intrude." He offered as the archery club began to stop their tasks and crowd around the giant that had appeared in their midst. There were several calls of awe and surprise as some of the curious students gaped at the being that quite literally towered over them. He was soon bombarded with questions ranging from where he was from to how he had gotten so huge. Honestly, he felt the tinge of awkwardness, but again it was far more preferable than them kneeling at his feet and begging for divine favor.

One of the students, a girl with short brown hair finally pulled on the reigns of the rowdy group and told them to get back to work. The group dispersed slowly, and the work resumed again but still he saw several curious looks directed at him.

"So, where do I begin?"

Taiga then pointed out several large wooden boxes full of various implements and tools ranging from maintenance equipment to spare uniforms donated by alumni to spare bowstrings and various other odds and ends.

He moved them all without any difficulty whatsoever, much to Taiga's amazement and mild annoyance he thought with a wry smile as she attempted to, and failed, meeting the new standard he introduced.

Though he had to applaud the effort the lively teacher put forth even though she had taken to pouting while being consoled by Sakura and the Captain of the team.

Finally, at roughly five o'clock by his guess, the tasks were complete, and the students dispersed after bidding their large helper farewell, leaving Taiga, Sakura, and Cassiel to lock up the building.

After the building was secure, the odd trio began the trek to the Emiya estate for a much-deserved meal.

XXXX

Saber was upset. Rather, upset was a word that could only lightly describe how completely and utterly infuriated at her master at this moment in time. She had seen him leave early in the morning and had guessed he had gone for a walk to clear his head.

Not that she could fault him.

But then he hadn't returned for breakfast.

Or lunch.

And now Shirou was dutifully cooking the evening meal.

She could let a short walk in the morning pass with little issue, even if he had been gone for a couple hours. But this was edging on insane.

She could tell, at the very least, that he was in no immediate danger but other than that she was completely clueless about his whereabouts or his well-being.

Shirou had tried to talk her down after he had returned from school, being the mediator he was, but the Servant of the Sword merely impatiently paced from the living room to the dojo and back several times despite her attempts to meditate to lower her ire. While she didn't rant and rave like some of the knights under her command would have, it was very obvious she was in a foul mood considering the almost palpable sense of killing intent that radiated from the normally serene self.

She was now sitting at the dinner table letting the smells of cooking food waft over her and placate her anger ever so slightly.

While it wasn't a total salve for her anger, it did much to keep her from running her careless Master through when he finally returns home.

Honestly! If he was going to be gone so long, he could have at least let her know!

She scowled again, her ire rising again, as Shirou paled as the negative energy enveloped him even in the kitchen.

It was then that they heard a small voice call out, 'Excuse me' before one Taiga Fujimura burst through the door with a gigantic grin on her face at the prospect of delicious food.

"I'M HOOOOOOOOME!!!"

Saber saw Shirou flinch at the outburst and that must have been enough for a knife to slip because he was shaking his hand and getting a towel almost immediately afterwards.

Sakura came through the door next, embarrassed at Taiga's antics but smiling warmly all the same at the high-octane teacher. And then….

"Good evening, Cassiel." She said with a false smile.She said with a false smile as the source of her ire and stress came into the room with a bag full of nicknacks and no worse for wear.

"And just where have you been?" The tick above her eye betraying her true emotions.

XXXX

Cassiel, as any good Space Marine, has a knack for sensing danger and at this moment in time he could sense nothing but extreme killing intent radiating from Saber.

Under normal circumstances, Cassiel would hardly consider the figure glaring at him as a threat.

However, these circumstances are far from normal because this one small figure could likely level a building without much effort.

But he knew no fear and faced his foe head on as certain death seemed imminent. However, the other three inhabitants took cover as the opening salvoes of a war of biblical proportions was about to begin in the living room.

Two warriors of legendary ability stared one another down, a duel worthy of the Age of Gods seemingly imminent as the mortal souls scattered before them, Shirou and Sakura to the haven that is the kitchen while poor Taiga is left at the mercy of the battleground.

"Good evening Saber. My apologies for my lateness. I became… indisposed after my morning exercises." He gestured to the bag that held the various gifts he had earned as thanks. The gifts themselves rangedstranger from the radio, to a now eaten yakisoba bun, to yen, but to put it mildly, Anteus Cassiel had kept himself gainfully employed in the thirteen hours he had been gone.

However, Saber's wrath could not be dissuaded.

"Ma-… er… Cassiel, would you mind explaining why you were out all day? Since before even Shirou woke up?"

He didn't even blink as the glare from the emerald eyes bore into him with an intensity that caused even Taiga to shrink back from the sheer force of it.

"I completed my morning run. Then I simply found people who could use assistance."

He set the bag down, never breaking eye contact.

"Theoretical: I need to know the layout of the city and make allies should they be needed."

He shrugged and motioned to the holster where his bolt pistol was resting and the area where his knife rested, making the actions look natural to Taiga and Sakura.

The meaning was clear.

He had no intention on being defenseless and had taken precautions.

"Practical: My run and subsequent good deeds have established favorable relationships with the people."

Cassiel could see that Saber wasn't budging.

Very well, contingency plan then.

He reached in the bag.

Cassiel had planned for a confrontation such as this and while he was largely disconnected from humanity by his nature, he was no fool and he had done much to bridge this disconnect on a variety of worlds. Not to mention the art of politicking he had learned from the remade Tetrarchs of Ultramar and observing several planetary governors in the art of government. One would learn what the opposite party needed or enjoyed and would exploit this knowledge to their own benefit.

And during this time, he had learned that sometimes bribes were necessary in negotiations or in other terms, an offering of peace.

Cassiel pulled a bag full of snack breads of various kinds and handed it to Saber as an olive branch.

XXXX

The pregnant silence that followed was so full of tension that even breathing seemed to be impossible.

Saber huffed in irritation as the animosity drained from her ever so slightly. Her Master was foolish or brave, she couldn't tell which, but well prepared and annoyingly logical. She could easily work up her anger to lecture an unprepared fool that took unnecessary risks, but it was much harder to lecture one that was nearly as capable as her that took necessary precautions and justified his actions as pragmatic instead of the whims they likely were.

Plus, peace offerings never hurt.

"At least leave a note next time." She sighed as the tension bled out of the atmosphere little by little and the hapless refugees slowly entered the former battlefield.

Taiga was the first to comment on the stand off.

"So scaryyyyyyyyyyyyyyy….." She was pale and her gaze switched from one to the other. Shirou and Sakura both nodded in agreement as the two bitter enemies buried the hatchet on their short conflict.

XXXX

After Saber and Cassiel had calmed their short lived conflict, the rest of the evening went on relatively peacefully. Shirou had prepared another stellar meal that had utterly obliterated Saber's earlier foul mood and even caused the normally stoic Cassiel to brighten slightly. Sakura and Taiga chatted about how much of a help Cassiel was at the archery dojo with his seemingly endless reserves of strength and willingness to be useful in some manner. It was then that Taiga, ever the athlete, asked how far he had run earlier.

"Forty-Five kilometers." He said without emotion as he reached for more rice. He had burned quite a lot of calories that day and he didn't particularly want to be digging into his emergency rations for several reasons, the tasteless nature notwithstanding. Plus, the starches were exquisitely exotic to his pallet.

"Eh?" The humans at the table all said in unison with looks of disbelief upon their faces.

"What?"

Mouths agape, the three mortals stared at him as if he'd had a second head.

Taiga was the first to truly react as Saber actually chuckled under her breath and kept eating.

"WHAT?! You ran more than a marathon this morning!?" She had a bewildered expression of childlike awe on her face.

"Um…" was all Cassiel managed as the woman leaned over the table with her bright brown eyes staring at him with admiration.

"That's amazing!! Shirou this guy is amazing!"

The red headed boy sighed with an apologetic expression as Sakura giggled at his exasperation next to him.

"Fuji-nee, you're being rude."

But the rocket had ignition and the next destination was the moon on the hype shuttle that was Taiga Fujimura.

"Hey, hey! Can I run with you? If you don't mind of course?"

He traded glances with Shirou, Sakura, and Saber who all shrugged leaving him alone.

"I… suppose not. I must warn you, however, I fear you may not be able to keep with my pace." He says as delicately as he can. Unlike many of his brothers and cousins, he's not without tact.

However.

"Oh ho~?" Hums Taiga with a wry expression. "Was that a challenge?"

No. Not really. What was it with mortals and exaggerating things?

Cassiel grimaced.

"Do as you wish. I typically would like to start at no later than 5 in the morning if that is acceptable?"

"WOOHOO!" She whooped.

Shirou sighed again as he energetic adoptive older sister began chatting with the giant animatedly at how Shirou never sparred with her anymore and her various woes as a teacher. To his credit, he seemed rather engaged at the idle chitchat.

In fact, he rather was engaged. Here was the crystallization of the hope he fought for in his time. In this room was the happiness he had strived so long and hard to carve a place for in a cruel galaxy.

The whole scene was rather refreshing to him, he realized. It was like a balm to his wounded, trauma ridden soul.

For so long he had only seen misery and hardship. He couldn't remember Calth before the sun was poisoned by the Word Bearer's treachery, and what memories he held of his home planet were in crowded refugee camps, alone, cold, and starving. After that it was refugee camp to refugee camp until the Mechanicum adepts came after The War and screened every child in the camp.

Even after he was transformed into what he was, Cassiel had spent his first time few decades consumed by anger and hatred as he slaughtered his way through enemy after enemy. After that, it was simply grim acceptance of his duty and what he was destined to be.

But right now, in a time far removed from his own, on a planet that held mythical connotations in his long time period, Anteus Cassiel was genuinely enjoying himself. in the company of a few hospitable mortals and a personification of humanity's noble lineage of heroes.

There was still a nagging at the back of his head, decades of psycho indoctrination rebelling at these mundane creature comforts and demanding he take action. He was still unsure as to what he should do if return is impossible and he had no idea how to live a life without war, but just this one time, he allowed himself this small boon.

XXXX

The lively dinner went on as a shadow with a skull mask leapt from rooftop to rooftop with the grace of a feline. Hassan of the Cursed Arm had fulfilled his mission for now.

With Saber nearby and this… large human, the odds of a successful attack were too low to attempt in his incomplete form. So he was biding his time for the moment as he returned to his master.

He would have to accumulate more magical energy and come up with a plan in order defeat Saber alone and it was plain that the large human was far from normal.

His ceaseless activity, near bottomless stores of energy, and incredible strength meant he was far more of a threat than any normal human or magus could be to him. Not to mention he seemed to have an air about him that radiated threat and danger to the Servant. Not to mention his weapons which were odd even by the standards of a Magus or a Servant.

They didn't seem to rely on any form of magical energy or other magus techniques, yet it was able to almost instantly vaporize his Master in but a single shot.

Assassin would have to be very careful when it came to eliminating this Master.

He landed on the roof of the Matou mansion and phased through the walls until he appeared behind his Master. His Master was surrounded by the admittedly vile Crest Worms that made up the magic crest of the Matou bloodline and also his timeless body.

Well, timeless was a bit of a stretch. The worms were seemingly timeless, but his stolen body would be rapidly breaking down underneath his robes.

"Good work, Assassin. We have gathered much information on this troubling addition to the war. Keep to your observations for now. We shall strike down the Master of Saber when the time is right."

Assassin inclined his head in agreement as the worms writhed all over the floor of the basement.

All over the body of Shinji Matou.

His eyes opened and Shinji breathed a painful breath that was more a scream than anything.

His eyes opened.

XXXX

Dinner was over and the members of the house had settled into a lethargic state as they digested the meal that Shirou had cooked for them. Saber and Cassiel had made their way to the dojo for some light sparring and meditation.

Afterwards, the duo had taken turns using the washroom and Cassiel, Shirou and Saber were enjoying some tea. When Sakura walked over with a fresh batch of the hot beverage, Cassiel noted that the red headed boy seemed to fidget nervously as if he had something he wished to ask.

"Um… Sakura" He boy finally stammered out.

"Hm? Yes Senpai?" The girl asked curiously as she set the tray with snacks down on the table.

"Um… how do I put this?" He sighed. "Sakura I'd like you to stay here during the night.

Silence save for the television. Cassiel and Saber glanced to one another with raised eyebrows as the scene unfolded before them.

First, the girl seemed to take a moment to process the request. Then the redness began rise through her face and her eyes widened as the request registered.

"Eeeeh?!" She finally managed.

Shirou was quick to explain as the fluster girl all but flailed.

"It's just until things aren't as dangerous!! Weird things have been happening recently! And… I…" He mumbled something unintelligible.

"W-what was that Senpai?" The girl stammered as she slowly got a grip on her faculties.

"I'm worried about your safety." He mumbled again, only slightly clearer.

Cassiel was watching with interest as the scene unfolded. Saber, on the other hand, had a fond smile on her face as she realized that Shirou had meant it. The young man had a good heart, though he seemed a little dense, and he was genuinely worried about the girl walking home at night.

Cassiel, however, was incredibly confused. As the two kept stammering over the conversation, much to the glee of Taiga, he leaned over to Saber.

"What is wrong with them?" He asked Saber.

At first, she was shocked, then confused, at his question. She had never courted or been courted but she had seen it enough in the knights under her command that she could spot the signs.

"Um… they're… courting one another… or at least trying to."

He huffed a small laugh and watched with great curiosity as the two steadily got more embarrassed.

"The novels I've read in my study… uh… back in my time, had sometimes alluded to this but I've never seen it myself. It's more amusing than I gave it credit for."

Saber titled her head in confusion.

Only in books?

She had no interest herself, but Cassiel was a ruggedly handsome man.

Surely, he had swept a maiden or two off her feet in his day?

He seemed to understand the unanswered question.

"Ah… well… we aren't ones for bonds such as that. We sacrifice it to become what we are."

Saber felt an even deeper sense of sadness at that than she normally would in addition to a feeling of kinship. She had been not allowed to show her emotion in the slightest and even her marriage had been purely political in its nature. But… she had made a choice to be what she was.

Him? She felt he never had that chance and that troubled her deeply. She frowned as the memory of the surgeries flashed into her mind again.

"Saber? Is there something troubling you?"

She blinked.

"Oh, nothing sorry."

He nodded and continued to watch the pair and now Taiga with amusement as the older woman teased the two teens relentlessly with a look of not-so-innocent glee on her face, much to their chagrin.

However, after a while, the commotion settled and arrangements were made for Sakura to stay (with Taiga's explicit oversight) and everyone except for Cassiel, Saber, and Shirou had retired.

Shirou excused himself to ensure Sakura was settling in and left Saber and Cassiel to return to the guest house.

When there, the pair began debating where they should search for other Masters.

XXXX

Cassiel had a pensive look on his face as he debated the options open to him. He had more of a grasp of the local geography than the previous night and had even come up with a lead on what exactly to look for with the school's odd aura.

However, he had also spied a temple on a hill during his run and there seemed to be a very ominous air about it. His gut told him that the school could wait for now and that something was incredibly wrong with the temple.

Though he would tell Shirou to be careful all the same.

He turned to Saber, who looked at him expectantly.

"Theoretical?"

She brought her hand to her mouth in a thoughtful gesture. He had told her all that he had known and even his hunch of the temple. She too could feel something deeply wrong with the leyline that ran through the mountain. It was as if some… darkness gripped it.

It seemed that both of their respective warrior's intuition pointed to the temple. It couldn't be explained, but the respective warriors have long since learned to give their gut the benefit of the doubt.

They had a target and began to make preparations with Cassiel already going to change into his armored bodysuit. He started with his leg pieces, the blue polished to a near shine as he placed the armor into its respective sockets. The act of hooking something foreign was ever unpleasant as the pain and odd sensations took a few moments to subside.

Next were the arm pieces, shoulder pads, greaves, and finally his chest and backplate. He asked Saber for help on the last bits and was ever surprised that someone as small as her held the power to lift an armored ceramite cuirass with power pack as if it was nothing.

They had a target and began to make preparations

XXXX

Cassiel fit the last piece of armor in place and flexed his muscles as the armor did its diagnostic. He glanced to the holes in the chest plate and made a face of annoyance.

It would have to be rectified at some point.

He hefted the Sunwrath pistol and checked the charge on the cell.

Just under 90%.

He sighed and placed the pistol in the small of his back with the mag clamps securing the weapon before grabbing the Guardian bolt pistol and sliding it into the modular pistol holster on his left hip. He would have to use the bolt pistol more than the valuable shots from his prized piece of archeotech.

He joined Saber outside with his helmet already in place. And nodded when she inclined her head at him. The pair was ready once more.

However, there was a problem. One with red hair that had been arguing with Saber until Cassiel arrived.

"Saber I'm sorry but I can't stay here. My friend Issei, and Kuzuki-sensei weren't at school today and that never happens. I'm afraid something happened to them up on that mountain."

She shook her head.

"No. We don't know what could be up there. It's far too dangerous for you Shirou, I'm sorry."

She seemed genuinely apologetic as she told him, but he wouldn't budge. Throne, the kid could be stubborn by the look of it.

"No. I'm going."

Saber sighed in exasperation and pinched the bridge of her nose before looking at her Master with the look of someone at the end of their rope.

The meaning was plain.

'Help?'

He looked from one to the other before letting his gaze linger on his wooden sword.

Ineffective.

"You're not coming…" A crestfallen look from the boy and a look of relief from Saber.

"…with that."

A look of annoyance from the Servant that made the Astartes shrug.

Who was he to tell the boy when and where to fight his battles?

He wasn't trying to mock the lad, but… well… a wooden sword was hardly a weapon.

"Oh this? Um… I don't mean to brag but… I know just a little bit of magecraft. Here let me just…"

He closed his eyes.

"Trace, on."

Before Cassiel's eyes, the sword lit with a green aura. Subconsciously, his hand lingered over the grip of the bolt pistol with only a conscious effort keeping him from drawing the weapon and putting a kraken bolt into the boy.

Typically, when a member of the Adeptus Astartes spied some otherworldly power that wasn't being used by a Brother-Librarian or a member of the Scholastica Pyskana, they tended to eliminate it.

Rapidly.

But Cassiel knew this wasn't warpcraft. Warpcraft tended to contaminate the very air that was around it. It wasn't uncommon for the air to feel thick like blood, smell like rotten meat, or pull at the very edges of his sanity as even his allies used their curse to the benefit of the Imperium.

But this had no such malice in its use. In fact, objectively speaking, it was fascinating to watch in its own way. He watched the circuit-like lines work their way up the wooden sword until they reached the very top where they dimmed and Shirou sighed in relief.

"There. It should be hard as steel now."

Cassiel tilted his head in genuine curiosity and tested the blade tenderly by attempting to bend it. Normally the wood would've shattered with little effort. But it really was as hard as steel.

"Hmm… what did you do?"

"Oh… uh… it's the only form of magecraft I can really do. It's called reinforcement. It does as the name implies and it reinforces the weaknesses of a structure."

"How?"

He wasn't meaning to be overbearing or forceful in his questioning, that was just the nature of his kind, and making the lad nervous was an unfortunate side effect.

But when 2.35 meters of armored ceramite and genehanced superhuman was staring at you it was not hard to be a little intimidated.

"U-um… well…"

Saber coughed, gently reminding them that they were burning moonlight.

"Oh. My apologies Saber. I had just never witnessed this phenomenon before. Shirou, would you mind informing me how that worked when we return?"

Shirou nodded meekly and let the reinforcement retract from the blade.

Saber and Cassiel began moving with Shirou close behind when Cassiel turned to him.

"Shirou, one rule. If it looks like there's too much danger, you run. Understood?"

The boy built up the courage to stare into the eye lenses in a defiant gesture before sighing and nodding.

"Good."

And the misfit group stepped off.

XXXX

Hunger. Unending hunger. A ravenous, ceaseless, bottomless hunger. The apparition needed food, it cared not where it got it from and so it hunted. At this stage in its life, even a small morsel was enough for it and so it hunted anything with a pulse.

Birds, bugs, small mammals, and anything too slow to run from the apparition.

It had recently suckled from the leyline and grown as it devoured the humans in the temple. The Servant attempted to had run with its master, only to die crying as it devoured the master in front of it.

The servant wasn't far behind.

It had been the one to tear the false Assassin apart, but it had hardly done more than make the apparition hungrier as most of its magical energy went into creating the masked assassin.

And so it slinked through the forest, watching, waiting, and hoping for a more substantial meal to arrive soon.

It seemed its prayers were answered as the apparition all but tasted the potent magical energy approaching its domain from the outskirts of the forest.

But.

No.

Something else would intercept it.

Something far too dangerous to attempt to devour as it was now.

No matter.

Assassin.

The apparition continued its hunt for anything living in the forest and bided its time.

If it had a mouth, it would be salivating at this good fortune.

The apparition moved rapidly towards the temple eagerly.

It was time to hunt again.

But it froze and seemed to shiver in joy at the other gigantic source of magical energy that rapidly made its way to intercept Saber and its master.

XXXX

Cassiel and Saber walked with Shirou in tow at a brisk pace. The temple was a good distance from the Emiya residence and Cassiel didn't want their investigation to take most of the night if he could help it. Shirou seemed to be keeping up well enough and Cassiel had to admit he admired the boy's courage and lack of complaint.

Cassiel and Saber walked with Shirou in tow

He would've made a fine battle-brother if Cassiel had the opportunity to make him a recruit.

His musings ceased as they approached the long staircase.

Cassiel felt unease creep up his spine as he surveyed the forest and surrounding area with his auspex. Something wasn't right here.

Normally he could pick up ambient life signs such as insects, small mammals and the like. But his auspex was dialed to its most sensitive and he picked up nothing.

No insects, no birds, nothing.

He drew his sword and bolt pistol, Saber felt it too as she manifested her sword, and even Shirou could tell something was deathly wrong.

Silence. Complete silence. That's all that greeted the trio as the began their ascent. All they heard was their faint breathing, footsteps, and the growling from the armor servos from Cassiel's armor.

Even with his enhanced hearing and assist from his helmet, Cassiel could pick nothing up that even resembled life.

His grip tightened on his weapons and he finally spoke.

"Shirou. If something happens, you will run. Understood?"

His tone brokered no argument. It was devoid of the warmth it typically held. It now carried a cold urgency.

"But…" The boy began.

"Silence. You will run should we be engaged by something we cannot handle. Am I clear?"

The boy gulped as the red eye lenses bore into him.

"Y-yes."

Cassiel nodded and their ascension continued step by step until the reached the top.

An ominous wind blew across the empty courtyard and Cassiel's sensor suite swept the grounds, and it found nothing.

Not even the breathing of the monks.

"Saber. Do you sense anything?"

She shook her head as she checked their rear and assured, they weren't being pursued.

"Hmph. Cover me. I have an idea."

He removed his helmet, clipped it to his belt, and inhaled the cold air. Typically, this would be seen as a calming exercise, but for the Space Marines it had a practical use. One of the One of the 21 extra organs he possessed, the neuroglottis, enhanced his sense of smell to beyond even the most sensitive of bloodhounds. He could almost taste the cold mountain air as he drew it into his three lungs.

Cassiel exhaled and scowled.

Blood and fear were practically dripping from the air and something else, something foul. It was like malignancy given form but not quite daemonic. It was reminiscent of the other Servants but much darker.

"There was much death here in the past day, be on your guard. I only smell blood and fear."

The group advanced, the two warriors as silent as their arms and armor would allow, and Shirou was shaking as they made their way to the sleeping areas.

What they saw there would stay with them in different ways for the rest of their days.

Cassiel grimaced at the sight. He turned to Saber who put her hand to her mouth, the overwhelming urge to vomit nearly overtaking her. Shirou was pale with horror as he stared at the carnage in the room. Telling the bodies apart was impossible because pieces of them were scattered among the gore-soaked beds and walls. The violence had been so great that blood had marred the walls and even the ceiling.

He advanced slowly, his boots disturbing the partially coagulated puddles of vitae and knelt next to the bifurcated skull of one of the monks.

"You two, go outside. What I am about to do is rather… distasteful. I will be out in a moment."

Shirou was already vomiting outside but Saber looked to protest, however, she saw the look in his eyes when he turned.

It wasn't pleading, but it might as well have been.

The door closed and Cassiel sighed before taking his right hand and taking a small piece of brain matter from the deceased monk.

"I apologize. I will avenge you and your brothers."

Cassiel hated this part of the geneseed organ suite his body possessed. The Omophagea was as distasteful as it was useful to the Adeptus Astartes. In short, it allowed a Space Marine to extract knowledge from ingested brain matter. In times such as the 42nd Millennium, this organ was incredibly useful when interpreting what enemy exactly needed killing.

He reluctantly popped the grey matter into his mouth and swallowed.

Cassiel was immediately assaulted by the final memories of the monk. They were soaked in fear and desperation as he saw a shadow tearing into the monks. There was a man in a business suit and a woman with violet hair that tried to intervene and for a time her spells held the shadow at bay.

He saw a knife, a dirk by the looks of it, fly from the dark and pierce the businessman's chest. Then another and another with each knife being a killing blow.

The violet haired woman shrieked in dismay as the shadow expanded and devoured them both. The shadow turned to the monk and Cassiel saw a black tendril descend on him.

Cassiel wretched and vomited the contents of his stomachs before shuddering as the memories faded. He always hated doing this, but he needed the information more.

He stood and left the dead to sleep, not noticing the shadow that crept through the window behind him.

XXXX

Saber watched Cassiel as he closed the door behind him. His face looked pale and he had a look of barely contained disgust on his face. Whatever he had done had disgusted him.

She may ask him about it later.

"Cassiel?"

"Whatever killed them is no longer here. But it seemed to devour their very essence. There was a servant here by the looks of it, but we can safely assume she has perished."

"Cassiel, how do you know?"

He looked at her and she grasped the meaning immediately by the look in his eyes.

Later, please.

She nodded to him and turned to Shirou.

"Shirou, have you collected yourself?" She asked as gently as she could. Clearly the toll of seeing all that death was high on the boy.

He nodded numbly and stood up, using the shinai to steady himself.

"We have to check for survivors." He managed after a moment.

She looked at him with rare sympathy before shifting her gaze to Cassiel who slowly shook his head before freezing.

"MOVE!" He roared and rushed to the two. Saber barely got her blade up in time to block the strike intended to rip her in two. Saber and Shirou were flung several meters by the brutal club of a sword before coming to a rest on her feet.

She could only watch as her master engaged the massive bulk of Berserker. He tackled the brute, shoulder first, and threw the Servant several meters.

She saw he put himself between the maddened Heroic Spirit and herself and Shirou. Her feet moved, pushing her to close the distance as fast as she could, but Berserker was faster as he swung at her Master. She nearly called out when the club sword descended towards Cassiel, intending to crush him like one would a can, but the sound died in her throat when Cassiel's own sword met the hunk of stone mid swing. She thought there was a shockwave when the master crafted blade not only caught but stopped the swing before Cassiel redirected the force with a flick of his wrist.

She was halfway to Cassiel now and the battle was joined in earnest by Berserker.

The exchange was a breathtaking display of martial prowess and skill on Cassiel's side and of brutal, overwhelming power on Berserker's.

She saw Cassiel dodge and weave, redirecting blows of Berserker's brutal hunk of rock with an economic grace that would leave the finest Sergeant-at-Arms in awe.

Cassiel had his sword in a two-handed grip, needing power and control far more than an extra weapon, and was a whirlwind of blue that Berserker couldn't touch.

Duck, weave, parry, stab, withdraw, repeat. That was how her Master fought this foe. He had fought against foes with just as much of a power advantage as this she realized as his swordsmanship practically telegraphed his experience.

Duck, weave, redirect, stab, sidestep.

Again, Cassiel drew blood from the juggernaut while escaping reprisal.

Sidestep, parry, whirl, cut, stab, retreat.

More blood stained the ancient stones under their feet as the club descended again, only pulverizing the rock to powder under his strike.

She was so close now. So close to joining the battle.

This exchange lasted for less than five seconds, but to Saber it seemed to last for hours as she rushed in to save her Master.

Despite the skill and prowess, he had displayed, she could see he was hard pressed. He had the speed and technique, but Berserker traded all sense and reason for pure power. This typically was made to make a lesser well-known Heroic Spirit able to compete with more famous ones. But this one's raw strength was that of a Heroic Spirit that was incredibly famous.

She arrived just as Cassiel had been a microsecond too slow to parry a blow.

Time slowed down and her eyes widened as the blade caught him in the midriff and sent the giant of a man flying as if he were a soccer ball into the stone wall of the temple, crashing through it with a bone jarring crunch of pulverized stone.

"CASSIEL!!" She roared and swung the Sword of Promised Victory, catching Berserker above the elbow and severing the arm. Berserker roared in return and tried to send a punch onto the Servant of the Sword that would have shattered concrete as if it was glass, but she was too fast, sidestepping the blow and leaving a deep laceration in the maddened hero's chest before kicking away and placing herself between her Master and the wall of bloody muscle.

Strangely enough, the Giant didn't move at first, and Saber was dumbfounded.

Then she saw it.

Three perfect stab wounds in the heart that were leaking blood down Berserker's massive chest.

Cassiel had killed the beast somehow.

No, Berserker wasn't dead. Hurt maybe, but it seemed having its heart skewered barely slowed it down.

It didn't move because it wasn't ordered to.

However, before Saber could process that she heard something.

Clapping.

Slow clapping.

Behind Berserker, a mere handful of meters away, was a little girl with white hair and red eyes.

She curtsied.

"Good evening, Onii-chan. I am Illyasviel Von Einsbern. A pleasure to meet all of you." She had her head turned to Shirou, who remained dumbstruck on the ground at the display of violence he had just witnessed in such a short amount of time.

"Onii-chan, you are definitely hard to find. Don't you know how rude it is to keep a lady waiting?" She stated with an almost comical pout. But beneath that juvenile display was a darkness.

She was going to kill them.

She was going to kill them painfully and laugh as she did so.

With a look of horror, she spied his arm beginning to grow back.

Regeneration?

Saber gritted her teeth and readied her sword. She had to get Cassiel out of here. No matter how tough he was, getting hit with a blow like that from Berserker was bound to leave him injured, possibly severely. And then there was Shirou.

The kid had no business here of all places.

He was a magus, this was true, but any magus worth their salt could eliminate him with little effort. Even she could plainly see he had no talent for the craft in a conventional sense.

"Shirou…run." She said in a calm voice, one that allowed no argument. She couldn't defend him, Cassiel, and fight Berserker. She was among the best at her craft, her sword notwithstanding, but even she will be hard pressed against this foe.

"But…" The boy began.

He never finished.

Berserker roared back to life and hefted his sword in a ready stance.

"Kill them Berserker. But not the boy because I have plans for him."

Another roar bellowed across the haunted stones as Berserker prepared to attack.

A roar that was cut short by a bark of sound, a whiz, and a thud as Berserker's head kicked back and then exploded.

And another. Then another. Then another.

Each bolt shell tore through heroic muscle and left a crater above the heart, in the neck, and in the lungs.

A Heroic Spirit he may be, but that manner of foe is precisely the kind of enemy the venerable .75 caliber, rocket assisted, mass reactive bolt shell was designed to kill. More so when that bolt was a Kraken penetrator round made by master artisans in the chapter's forges.

Saber turned and saw her Cassiel with a smoking weapon in his hand, climbing out of the hole in the wall while encased in a golden, shimmering light and no worse for wear.

"Rule one when fighting an Ultramarine, you rabid dog. Kill us in the first exchange or we will come back and kill you." He growled as the monster tipped back and fell backwards with a resounding thud, what was left of his brain pan spilling all over the ground.

But he was already regenerating, his skull already reforming as Cassiel stepped onto the grounds.

The Space Marine stood next to his servant and holstered the pistol, sword in hand, and prepared to meet the Hero of Madness.

XXXX

Cassiel grunted in pain as he stood next to Saber. His Iron Halo has been all that prevented him from being ripped in half by the monster in front of him and even then, the energy shield flickered and winked out as it went about recycling itself. One strike was all it had taken to nearly overload the precious piece of archeotech and even then, Cassiel had earned himself a slew of internal injuries from the force of the impact.

His armor, venerable ceramite, had fared much better and already it worked to hold him together with injections of pain killers and stims. But he had to be practical right now. He was, at best, 70% combat effective, 80% when the chemicals in his blood began to work, and 80% wouldn't cut it against this foe. Not when he had ruptured organs, fractured bone and torn muscles.

Throne on Terra, this big bastard hit harder than a fracking Ogryn.

"Saber." He grunted through gritted teeth. "Take the lead."

He could taste copper in his mouth and growled as the lightning from the power field leapt back over the blade. Saber moved forwards with a curt nod and faced the foe that towered over her. Yet she held her sword at the ready. Her posture was tense but not nervous as the giant's wounds closed and his eyes regained their maddened light.

It roared, the sound reverberating off the temple walls and raised its sword as it charged. Saber met the charge with Cassiel not far behind. She caught the blade and grimaced with effort as she held the the blade in place.

Her Master came from her right and swung the crackling blade at Berserker's head. However, it still held control of its warrior's intuition and ducked while delivering a punch that Cassiel only barely avoided by sidestepping to the left.

Saber used this distraction to break contact with Berserker's blade and ducked under his right arm. From there she drove her sword into the joint of Berserker's knee. The monster collapsed under its own weight, providing Cassiel a small window to strike.

The blade went for Berserker's face.

Cassiel's eyes widened as the blade deflected off of the skull of Berserker, suddenly even harder than the adamantium blade.

Time seemed to move in slow motion as Berserker's red and yellow eyes met Cassiel's blue and green eyes from behind the red lenses of his mask.

Though they were about the same size, the monster's brute strength was demonstrated to be far superior as Cassiel was grabbed around the neck and lifted the Astartes off of the ground as if the five hundred kilograms of muscle, bone, and ceramite weighed nothing while it struck at Saber with its sword. She blocked the blow, barely, and was sent flying.

With decades of combat experience accredited to him, Cassiel didn't panic. His sword came up with even more force than before and the flesh begrudgingly gave way to the antimatter field surrounding the gleaming adamantium. But even that wasn't enough.

Though the Servant's grip loosened ever so slightly, it still held firm.

His left hand went for the pistol and he began pulling the trigger with point blank shots into the torso of Berserker. Each round left a crater, but nowhere near the devastation from before. He pulled the trigger until the slide locked open.

Empty.

His vision began to black around the edges as the grip tightened again and he dropped the pistol to try and pry even a single digit off his throat.

He froze as he heard a yell. Not one of fear or dismay but one of defiance.

Shirou Emiya struck Berserker across the face with the reinforced sword with such force that the shinai cracked. This merely resulted in a single thin line of blood falling from the Servant's nose.

The world froze around them as Berserker's eyes fell upon the boy, and Shirou Emiya was dumbstruck with fear as an avatar of wrath looked to end his life with a flick of its wrist.

"Nonononono… look at me you big bastard…" Growled the Astartes through wheezed breaths.

Cassiel grasped his knife and with a movement that would be considered a blur, plunged the knife into Berserker's eye socket.

It hadn't showed a reaction to pain before, but it seemed the blade, which a mortal would consider a short sword, had quite literally struck a nerve.

Cassiel was released and he heaved a breath into his starved lungs. He couldn't rest, however, and ripped the sword out of Berserker's arm.

He put all of his weight into the next strike and plunged the sword into Berserker's throat with a roar.

The resistance was still there, but the blade parted flesh and cut through sinew as reliably as it had since its first battle all those millennia ago.

His other hand ripped the knife out of its eye socket and Cassiel plunged the blade into the other side of its neck and began to pull.

"Die this time, monster." He rasped before turning to Saber, who was rushing over.

"NOW!"

The invisible blade, aided by her power and gravity, ripped through Berserker's neck and down to the temple grounds, cratering in the rock.

Cassiel's blades were free and he shook the blood off of them as the headless corpse of Berserker collapsed in front of the pair.

He turned to the little girl who seemed rather nonplussed at the spectacle.

"Impressive." She observed nonchalantly. "But… he's not done."

Cassiel's eye widened and he turned to see the stone blade moving towards Saber's unguarded back.

The Iron Halo was only half charged but it would have to do.

The golden energy enveloped him and he blocked the blow with his pauldron and barrier.

The plastron cracked as the Iron Halo gave way and Cassiel felt something give in his shoulder as he was spun around by the force of the blow.

Another blow didn't come but that's because Berserker's head was only half formed for now.

He righted himself while his brain went rifling through theoreticals.

Theoretical: This monster is built for endurance.

Practical: The more drawn out a fight, the greater its advantage.

Theoretical: It will regenerate until its weakness is found.

Practical: We don't know this weakness and finding it will take time.

Theoretical: Death is certain if we keep fighting.

Practical: Withdraw for now until a solid theoretical can be ascertained.

"Saber! Shirou! Withdraw!"

Saber looked confused for a moment before defiance sparked in her eyes. She was a knight, he knew this, and retreat while they could fight was not welcomed.

However.

"Guilliman's breath! Withdraw until we know how to kill this fracking thing! I'll buy you time!"

He scooped up the pistol and dropped the empty magazine. He grabbed another off of his belt, Vengeance Bolts this time, and slammed the magazine home before releasing the slide with a satisfying clack.

He holstered it.

He would need more than the venerable bolt pistol could offer.

His hand went for the Sunwrath pistol and he went about overcharging the weapon.

It's Machine Spirit would keep it from going critical, but the results would be spectacular.

"No! Master! I won't…"

The look she shot her could bore through the armor of a void ship.

"Get him out of here! I'll be right behind you!"

He felt his right hand burn and growled again, thinking it was some trick from this monster. Before he saw Saber shakily comply you his order.

"N-no… C-Cassiel…" She resisted the compulsion up until she grabbed Shirou off his feet. She then leapt away, leaving the Astartes and the Monster in the courtyard.

It breathed out, steam falling from its mouth as it stared into Cassiel's eyes through his lenses.

In a split second, the monster charged and the pistol came up.

Berserker came apart as the force of a small sun smacked into its chest and exploded, sending charred viscera, hair, bone, and other debris into the air behind the servant.

Berserker fell to its knees as its now empty chest cavity was little more than vapor and smoke.

Cassiel was already in motion as the pistol vented the heat from the shot. The shame of retreating in such a way burned him to his core, but sometimes theoretical feelings had to make way for practical considerations.

Such as when fighting a creature that could fight a daemon prince to a standstill with ease.

He sprinted down the steps and kept an eye on behind him, waiting for the inevitable pursuit.

A pursuit that never came.

XXXX

Illyasviel Von Einsbern looked at the top of the steps with discontent. Whoever those two had been, they were incredibly dangerous. They had killed Berserker twice.

Twice!!

God Hand effectively made it so he could die up to twelve times before finally dying for good, but that Servant and Master pair had a synergy that could almost rival her and Berserker.

Not because of the magical energy output, in the regard they were nothing special, but the fact that they could match Berserker at all was troubling. They effectively had two servants.

Something wasn't right with that Master.

He wasn't human.

She contemplated more as Berserker scooped her up gently and leapt into the air, and neither noticed the shadow that watched the whole spectacle from afar.

The shadow merely watched hungrily as it bided it's time.

This prey and the other were too strong to face now.

But soon oh so soon they would be devoured completely and it's hunger would be sated for a time but until then, it melted into the forest and made its way to Fuyuki.

There was more to hunt.


	5. Interlude: Cassiel’s Dossier

-

Brother Captain Anteus Cassiel

Sex: Male

Height: 2.35 meters

Weight: 188.64 kilograms

Hair color: Raven black with a streak of blond above the left eye

Skin color: varies depending on environment (see: geneseed augmentation)

Eye color: Blue in left eye/green in right

Status: KIA

-

Brother Cassiel was collected from refugee camp Theta-5 on Calth in M.31. No surviving relatives and possible compatibility with Primaris Project necessitated his collection by Skitarii from the refugee camp. He would be among the first to receive the new and perfected geneseed organs for the Primaris Space Marines. The near rejection of the Primaris organs due to an unexplainable factor nearly resulted in his termination but Brother Cassiel would stabilize with minimal lasting damage beyond him retaining more of his original visage than usual.

[INDOMITUS CRUSADE]

He was awoken in 005.M42 and was immediately folded into to the 3rd chapter of the Indomitus Crusade under Chapter Master Saphael of the gene line of Sanguinius as a Reiver close combat and reconnaissance specialist.

He was later promoted to a line battle-brother in Intercessor squad Ezekiel where he would serve with incredible zeal and violence.

Note: Brother Cassiel had shown particular hatred and had visited extreme violence upon Excommunicate Traitoris Word Bearers.

He would later go to take command of the squad after Brother-Sergeant Ezekiel met his end fighting [REDACTED BY ORDER OF THE ORDO MALLEUS] forces during the siege of [REDACTED BY THE ORDER OF THE ORDO MALLEUS]. He would serve as an Intercessor Sergeant under the renamed Squad Cassiel until the events of the liberation of Baal.

During the liberation of Baal from the Tyranid menace, Cassiel had distinguished himself in the purging of Baal by leading a small task force to rescue several heavily wounded Blood Angels battle brothers that had become isolated by a surprise assault headed by one of the last remaining Hive Tyrants of Leviathan.

During the action, all members of Squad Cassiel were killed by the Hive Tyrant and Tyrant guard, save for Brother-Sergeant Cassiel, who killed the wounded Hive Tyrant in single combat with a creative application of a krak grenade into a wound in the beast's chest. Cassiel took many months to heal from his severe and nearly fatal wounds and was given the chance to join the local Deathwatch Watch Fortress, Watch Fortress Centauri.

[DEATHWATCH SERVICE]

Cassiel would serve as a member of Fortis Killteam Skarborn as an Inceptor. He would distinguish himself many times for the timely support of his battle-brothers with his Assault Bolters during their various deployments destroying the remnants of Hive Fleet Leviathan that had been plaguing the subsector. During a covert strike on the planet of [REDACTED BY THE ORDER OF THE ORDO XENOS] by Killteam Skarborn to hunt down a Drukhari raiding party, a latent Necron outpost was awakened. During the combat, Killteam Skarborn assisted local PDF forces in the elimination of the Necron outpost but at the cost of 1.3 million PDF troopers and conscripts and at the loss of three of his battle brothers.

It should be noted that the Killteam also discovered the hiding place of the Drukhari and was able to annihilate them in a surprise assault led by Skarborn, where Watch Sergeant Skarborn avenged the deaths of his charges.

The defining moment of Brother Cassiel's Deathwatch service would be during the pacification, and later exterminatus, of Corinthe. Killteam Skarborn would be deployed with elements of the Cadian 527th and elements of the Raptors Chapter 2nd Company in response to a possible Ork invasion of the planet.

In reality, the Imperial forces were lured into the area by elements of the Warband of the Flayed Skin. These Word Bearers had taken to the sickening habit of flaying entire worlds to make their books, pouches, robes, and other diabolical uses. They ambushed the Imperials in the capital hive city and caused massive casualties. It was sheer dumb luck that Killteam Skarborn wasn't annihilated in the first volley of orbital lasfire.

Killteam Skarborn would make planetfall in Corvus Blackstar Alpha 3-1 and link up with remnants of the Raptors 2nd Company under Captain Solari. The two forces, in addition to Kasrkin under Lt. Col. Marius, commander of the Cadian 527th, would lead a highly effective guerrilla campaign that terrorized the cultists of the archenemy to hysteria while the traitor Astartes were picked off a dozen at a time with the pinpoint application of bolter and lasfire in ambushes that cut the tainted ceramite and corrupted genehanced muscle to splinters and tatters respectively.

All was going well until the Chaos Lord opened a warp gate unleashing [REDACTED IN THE NAME OF THE ORDO MALLEUS] upon the planet. The local Imperial forces were immediately hard pressed as the [REDACTED IN THE NAME OF THE ORDO MALLEUS] washed over them, leading to heavy casualties among the Raptors and mortal soldiers.

Killteam Skarborn, along with Raptors Infiltrators would deploy to in Alpha 3-1 to the main traitor temple under the cover an assault from the Cadian and Raptor remnants and nighttime.

After they entered the temple, they discovered the Traitor Lord and engaged them and their bodyguards. Cassiel descended upon the Traitor and nearly cut them in half with a stream of assault bolter fire and the force of his landing upon the thrice damned chest of the traitor Lord. He would go to kill four more traitors with a combination of bolter fire and his bear hands, his Gravis armor keeping him largely safe from harm.

Unfortunately, this would not be the end. With his last breaths, the Lord had offered his body to the warp and as a result, a new warp rift opened and released a [REDACTED IN THE NAME OF THE ORDO MALLEUS]. In the ensuing fight, the Raptors brothers were killed to the last while Killteam Skarborn did their best to banish the beast. However, the foe was too much and eventually Watch Sergeant Skarborn and Cassiel were all that remained, though they took a toll on the foe.

Using the last of the fuel and ammunition in his armor, Cassiel hurled himself into the air while obliterating the eyes of the foe with both his bolts and his jetboots. This reckless action allowed Watch Sergeant Skarborn close in and apply a vortex grenade, which sent the foe screaming into the warp.

Hours later, the planet was virus bombed and put to the torch by waiting fleet after the situation had become hopeless.

The two would return to their waiting frigate with their brother's bodies in tow to proper rites of burial and geneseed harvest. Cassiel and Skarborn would both be commended by their Watch Captain and be given a choice of reward from the Watch Fortress' weapons vault. Cassiel would choose a custom bolt pistol with ample ammunition while Skarborn would choose an ancient power axe with runic inscriptions on the blade and shaft.

[INDUCTION INTO THE CHAPTER]

Cassiel would serve his Watch Company until he was released from service to return to his Chapter of origin. When he would return to Macragge, it would be during the final days of the Plague Wars. Cassiel would participate in the liberation of Espandor as a newly appointed Lieutenant. During the fighting, he would take command of the 5th company after Captain Phelian was mortally wounded and interred in an ancient Contemptor pattern Dreadnought chassis.

Cassiel would command the company with distinction, earning commendations from the Novamarines, Howling Griffons, and Praetors of Orpheus for his fast tactical thinking, daring, and violence of action during the reclamation of Espandor Civitas.

He would greet death for a third time during a campaign on Iax where the newly promoted Captain would be ambushed by a sizable contingent of Poxwalkers and Death Guard Traitor marines while reclaiming a shrine dedicated to the Emperor of Mankind. Cassiel would lose his arm to the Plague Lord's virulent blade after he ripped his own arm off to stop the certain death the poisons would cause. He would spend a month in the Apothcarian getting fitted for an augmetic arm and ensuring the poisons had been purged from his veins. Upon returning to Iax with his new arm, Cassiel, his Lieutenant Primus and close brother, Markus would lead a push into the underhive of Iax Civitas to purge any vestiges of resistance. There, he would encounter a [REDACTED IN THE NAME OF THE ORDO MALLEUS]. In the ensuing fight, most of the Battle Brothers would be killed or wounded and Cassiel would deafest his foe though the methods are unclear, even to him as he was close to death. Unfortunately, Markus would be mortally wounded and interred within a Redemptor-pattern Dreadnought chassis.

After all traitor forces had been expunged from Ultramar, Cassiel would reform his company to adhere to the new guidelines set by the Codex Imperialis. With his new company he would serve in several actions against the Tyranids, Orks, Heretic Forces, and Tau as they tried to infringe upon the 500 Worlds and various other planets in the Ultima Segmentum.

During his pursuit of the remnants of the Warband of the Flayed Skin in the outer edges of Ultramar, Cassiel would be lost during teleportation.

He would be succeeded by Lieutenant Primus Phobon.

XXXX

Origin: Shield

Element: Earth and Fire

STR: B

AGL: B

LUK: C

END: EX

MP: C

NP: -


	6. Chapter4

Okay so FIRST of all I am SOOOO sorry about the delay. I have had a rather…. rough past few weeks for me mentally and emotionally, not counting college shenanigans and the COVID-19 mess. I really hope everyone is staying safe and doing as well as they can in these times.

PS: Thank you RedRat8 for pointing out the formatting issue! That was... odd.

ANYWAYS!

This chapter has some more plot going into effect. Can you spot it?

Replies:

BlackEagle: In the grimdarkness of the old world, there is only war

MasterHand996: Well, depending on the circumstances, a bolt shell to the torso would work nicely.

Fox McCloud: Had to give my boy some accolades to make him worthy of his rank. He has been around the block a few times

Dilangp1999: I know, I HAD to include Heaven's Feel. It's so fitting for our big blue lad to face an ultimate evil. And well… we shall see… no spoilers (eyes emoji)

Sierra117: I'm glad that THE Master Chief approves. Life = made.

But seriously, thank you for your kind words! And yeah, the only difference between the two is that Cassiel is a LIVING demigod while the others are supercharged ghosts basically. So, he might be at a disadvantage initially.

MedicantBias219: Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your kind words and continued interest in this story. Your feedback and analysis are always more than welcome, and I can only hope I can live up to your faith in me.

And yes, I agree that, if Cassiel COULD break into Avalon, he WOULD, and he would probably go Doomguy on the local shitbag mage. However, he wouldn't feel pity for Artoria, because he sees that she gave her all and would see any pity as downplaying her suffering. He would, truly, admire her resolve for carrying things to the end with courage and honor.

As for Cassiel eating some dude's brain, well, that's only one of the suite of 20 (normally 21) extra organs a Primaris Space Marine has implanted to become what they are. I intend on touching on most of them since they will benefit him in various ways and allow him to match the likes of a Heroic Spirit.

As for him ignoring Kirei, it was an error on his part. However, in his time, he sees priests as little more than raving fanatics. And he is often correct in this assumption, but this goes to show that he may be superhuman but he is ONLY superhuman and is not immune to faults.

Sierra117: Hello again! And really, I agree. They are both so over the top and crazy that their inherent chaotic world building would mesh well

Fox McCloud: Hello Again! And yes they would. HOWEVER!!!!

The Ordo Hereticus is not valid, the Ordo Xenos is on thin fucking ice, and the so is the Ordo Malleus.

Odin's Eye: Well, something about hindsight being 20/20 come to mind. An outside perspective is always different.

Dragon lord Syed 101: With COURAGE and HONOUR anything is possible!

RadioPoisoning: Good question! And nope, nobody did because… well he made an uh-oh and made Kirei shut up. I explained a little better above and I hope it explains it a little better!

Chaos499: (eyes emoji)

Destins: That's what I was going for and I thank you for your kind words!

Cassiel stopped running as he reached the bottom of the long flight of stairs. Normally, the sprint wouldn't have even been worthy of quickened breathing, but his injuries were weighing upon him. He grimaced as the throbbing intensified in his torso and arm. The arm was definitely out of socket, possibly a torn ligament, and the torso damage was far more extensive than he had believed initially.

Mentally, he tracked the damages and noted them as each beat of his twin hearts sent pain throbbing through his chest cavity. His armor had already noted many of them, but he always thought it prudent to manually track his injuries.

The silence of the forest fell upon him again as he began striding towards the road, his lame arm gripping his blade as tightly as it was able, and his head swiveling from side to side. He felt like he was being watched.

He _was_ being watched.

Cassiel cycled through the vision modes in his helm until his eyes fell upon the figure that was ghosting him.

"I can't catch a fracking break…" He groused aloud and stopped. He had to link back up with Saber as fast as possible. If that monster attacked him in his current state, he was as good as dead.

He would kill it. _Again. _But it would likely get the better of him eventually, but this foe was far too subtle to be… whatever the hell that monster was.

He grabbed the arm that lay motionless and useless at his side, inhaled, and grunted as the arm returned to its rightful place with an audible pop. He rolled the arm and grimaced as it settled back into its socket with much popping. It would have to do for now.

His helm cycled through several vision modes. Thermal, radiological, chemical, and finally the green tinged night vision. He could see perfectly fine without the additional sight filters, but, much like his chapter, he was a practical soul and would take any advantage. His gaze swept the darkened treeline until…

There.

"Right. You can come out now." He called as the power weapon in his formerly lame arm came to life. The vox amplifier sent his voice echoing through the forest. He stared at one spot in the foliage and watched as a white skull emerged from the shadow.

Any other person would have looked right past the figure that had laid motionless until mere seconds ago, but nothing could hide from the combination of his eyes, helm, and intuition.

It moved like a viper would. Slow and dangerous in its murderous aura.

It croaked out a laugh when it came into full view. It was raspy, like those of Tallarn or any other world where desert and heat were common.

"I…see you are more perceptive than most." The figure almost choked out. It was as if the action of speaking was almost too much for its malformed vocal cords.

"I would have long since died were I not." He replied tersely.

Hoarse laughter came from the figure. It wasn't a mocking laughter, more of an amused one.

"I see, I see. You are unlike other magus, Master of Saber. The end of your bout with Berserker was quite entertaining."

Cassiel adjusted his stance subtly.

"I'm sure it was, wraith."

The Servant seemed to float above the ground with the fluidity of its movements and Cassiel was able to form the beginnings of a theoretical to deal with it.

"And now you're alone and hurt. A Master that sends their Servant away with dead weight while still facing an enemy?" The skull shook with disapproval.

"That was foolish, young man. Your armor may have saved you from him… but I can find my way around armor."

Cassiel smirked. He was being underestimated heavily.

"Can you now? Can you find your way around my blade?"

The figure stood motionless as the Astartes stared it down, the only sound and motion coming from the arcing antimatter field that enveloped his sword.

Cassiel moved first, charging at the figure with a roar, the figure leapt to the left and sent several knives towards the mountain of ceramite bearing down upon it.

The knives were well aimed, each was sent for a gap in his armor, and Cassiel flinched as a knife sunk into the soft seal in his hip. The others rebounded off the armor plate and fell to the dirt.

Cassiel swung the sword, missing the figure by a mere hair's breadth as the skull mask slunk away.

"Hmph…" Cassiel scoffed at the cowardly display and faced his foe again.

"I take it that you're not Caster, are you?" He followed as he stood in front of the figure. The knife in his hip was poisoned of course, but it was nothing his oolitic kidney couldn't handle and the bleeding had already ceased.

"No, the weapons aren't esoteric enough. I've already faced Lancer, Rider, Berserker, and Archer. I assume Caster is dead from what was seen in the temple. That leaves… Assassin."

The Servant definitely felt something was wrong as Cassiel bore into it with unerring intensity, even as it tried to slink into the shadows.

Cassiel ripped the knife out of his leg and dropped it to the ground before slowly advancing on the Servant.

"So, a coward that only fights when they believe victory is assured wishes to strike me down?"

The silvered blade glinted as lightning arced from the power field and illuminated the small clearing.

For the first time in a long time, Assassin felt a pang of fear as the blue clad demon bore down on him with the fury of a god. Under normal circumstances, Assassin would have no trouble besting some uppity human magus even if they were well versed in combat. It was a simple fact that a Servant would always beat a Master in combat.

But Captain Anteus Cassiel was no normal Master. He may be heavily injured, alone, and facing a reincarnation of the very concept of murder, but he was the the very avatar of death in a time when gods and devils walked among mortals. He would never yield nor would he be bested by the likes of this one. He had faced, fought, and killed worse in his time. The sword rose and fell, faster and faster as the Astartes pushed through his pain and struck down with more accuracy as his mind compensated for Assassin's movements.

Assassin moved to throw more knives, but Cassiel was fast, unbelievably fast, as his body pumped more combat stims into his veins even as his injuries worsened with the movement. He slapped the knives away and moved within Assassin's guard. He delivered a punch with his adamantium hand that shattered even the durable ribs a Servant possessed and moved to kill the Servant when he was struck from behind as soon as his sword began to fall.

XXXX

Saber finally forced herself to stop as the effect of the command spell wore off. She gritted her teeth in agitation and worry as she set Shirou on the ground.

"Shirou. Go home. I have a feeling we are going to need your help patching him up, so have some medical supplies ready."

The boy looked to argue yet again but was quelled by a severe look. Saber was in no mood for it, though good natured it was.

She sighed.

"Please Shirou. I can't keep you safe and fight Berserker at the same time."

The boy sunk ever so slightly at that. Saber put her hand on the boy's shoulder reassuringly and nodded before turning on her heel and beginning back towards the mountain.

Her midsection was on fire, pain enough to nearly cause her to gasp. This was an effect of her Master being injured and it allowed her to help diagnose any problems. But right now it only worsened her worry.

If what she felt was a fraction of what he did, then how was he still standing? She felt the throbbing aches of broken ribs, ruptured blood vessels, and bruised organs when Berserker had struck Cassiel. The fool had even gotten struck a second time to save her, his Servant, and she had felt the lancing pain of a dislocated shoulder.

Saber began to run, her legs screaming with the constant effort that was being thrust upon them. She knew she shouldn't worry like she was currently, but she couldn't shake off the bad feeling she had in the pit of her gut. It felt as if someone was reaching into her belly and twisting the organs with all of their strength.

She sprinted back towards the mountain that was drenched in horror with all her might. The sight of the slaughtered monks had been enough to churn even her stomach from the sheer cruelty alone. But it hadn't been Berserker that had done it, that much was clear, if he had done it then there wouldn't be cuts that clean.

She grit her teeth as her calves burned but she didn't relent as she approached the area where the steps began.

Her eyes widened as she saw Cassiel preparing to strike down a Servant she hadn't detected. But that's not what worried her.

Behind him was… something.

It was a small lump of darkness that was barely noticeable in the black of night. This shadow poised itself behind him as Cassiel began the downward descent of his blade.

She pushed mana into her legs in a large mana burst and rocketed forwards, straining the boundaries imposed by physics as she sprinted forwards. The shadow moved under Cassiel and where it touched his armor, it began to discolor.

She collided with Cassiel with enough force to hear the wind leaving his lungs. Saber had to commend his reaction to being struck to unexpectedly. He twisted in such a way to allow his considerable bulk to land so he could regain his footing easily and quickly.

They landed with a crash in the undergrowth and Saber was immediately grasping for breath as the cold metal hand wrapped itself around her throat and she found herself staring up at the point of Cassiel's sword. She noticed his helmet had come off in the landing and looked up to see his normally warm, if somewhat distant, eyes were incredibly cold.

They were the eyes of a killer. In those eyes she saw someone who had witnessed an incredible amount of death. Not just witnessed, but also actively dealt it out in great amounts. Death in droves, death on incalculable levels.

Death both intimate and detached were evident in those eyes.

Just what had he seen? What battles had he fought?

His green eye was more of a teal instead of its normal emerald and his blue was akin to ice as it bore into her with killing intent until he recognized her. Immediately, his gaze softened, and the look of murder faded into one of shame and alertness. She gulped as the blade was moved away from her throat.

"Sorry." He whispered as they both got up, blades ready, and faced the peculiar pairing of the shadow and Assassin. Assassin moved behind the mass of darkness and faded into the trees behind him. The shadow, however, grew and gained form as it moved slowly and silently towards the pair. Its shape was as if someone draped a sheet of night and malice over a person. Ribbons of darkness floated lazily alongside the figure as if having no sense of direction. They moved with no rhyme or reason as they tasted the air around them, looking for anything living to devour and sate its bottomless hunger.

Saber tightened the grip on her sword as a pang of fear ran down her spine and coalesced as a pit in her stomach. The way this entity moved was unnatural in the extreme.

Its movements were wrong.

The way its aura felt was wrong.

The thing was a product of magical energy, but unlike the magical energy that existed in the world, or the kind that made up Heroic spirits, this magical energy that made up this creature was the antithesis of what could be considered natural to the world. It was hateful, malicious, and cruel to its very core.

"Steady yourself, Saber. If it exists, we can hurt it, and if it can be hurt. It can die." Cassiel said. His voice was strained, his wounds weighing on him at last, but calm.

"And it will die."

But there was something darker in the undertones if his voice that would normally be hidden by his helmet.

It was something she was intimately familiar with. She had faced it in her final battle with Mordred.

Barely restrained hatred. A hatred that was ingrained and reinforced from an early age to be nothing short of breathtaking.

"Cassiel, do you know what that is?" She inquired. When he answered, it was barely more than a whisper through gritted teeth as his hand tightened around the grip of his sword to the point that the metal began to creak.

"… daemon."

XXXX

Cassiel was no longer at the base of Mt. Enzo. in his mind. He is in Espandor Civitas, among the bloated remains of traitor and loyalist alike. His battle plate is no longer the pristine royal blue of the Ultramarines because it is caked in mud, blood, feces, urine, and other even more disgusting substances that Nurgle's get are fond of. He, one of his Lieutenants and best friend Markus, and his first and fifth squad, Intercessor Squad Scipio and Tactical Squad Antius, were pushing deep into the underhive of the city to root out any of the Death Guard's remnants. He could feel the familiar ache of his new prosthetic as the phantom pains of his old arm plagued him still. They had advanced into the Traitor base and had cut through the meager defenders of diseased cultists, zombies, and a handful of Death Guard when they came upon a true avatar of pestilence. A daemon prince of Nurgle.

It was a truly grotesque thing. It was black with decay, advanced stages of rot permanently plaguing it's features as rancid flesh fell off, regrew, died, and rotted again. Pus seemed to lubricate its armored joints and its mucus filled breaths scraped at all their sanity. Time sped up, he and his Marines advanced, with boltguns and bolt rifles hammering explosive bolts into the personification of rot until the monster was among them.

He could only watch the warp tainted claw cleave Markus in half as he pushed Cassiel away.

Cassiel landed and saw the remains of his only friend land in a bloody mess half a meter away, choking and attempting to crawl towards his bolt rifle.

Cassiel felt something in him release as anger overwhelmed him.

"They…shall be…my finest….warriors…."

His body heaved as a sensation like none other pulled at his nerves. The sudden pain was acid in his veins as something poured out of him and coalesced into a physical being.

The Daemon Prince screamed in abject horror as something caught it and annihilated its very being.

And then blackness.

He shook his head and then he was back at Mt. Enzo, fury in his features as he took a step forward.

XXXX

Saber was taken aback as Cassiel showed no hesitation when advancing on this unknown entity. She could hear his teeth gritting as he growled out words in a language she did not understand.

"Et succendit domum meam. Qui devoravit gladius vester. Et nostros spe ad vetustatem damnetur. Alioquin interficiemus te, et omnium. Et mundabimini ab omni re. Non pro me, quia non est de populo Ultramar, et non ex populo Calth. Et non morieris enim omnis homo, Mulier, pueri, ac non nata animam meam ut possint vivere nec sine te latentem in obumbratio."

His voice was full of such fury that she almost flinched at his words, even though she wasn't the target of them. He closed the distance steadily like stone golem until he was a handful of meters away.

The ribbons of darkness shot out, reaching for her and Cassiel. They both reacted instantly with their blades, slicing the darkness away. The shadow screamed an unholy scream that grated on the back of her mind.

But there was more and more and more. Dozens of whip-like streamers of darkness erupted from the shadow.

Eventually, Saber overextended herself or perhaps the shadow had picked up on her movements, but in either case, Saber was only able to watch as a ribbon went for her heart.

Only for it to be intercepted by blue armor.

Bright crimson splashed on her face as the ribbon parted the armor as if it was paper. She heard him grunt as the blade came down and severed the dark ribbon that had impaled his arm.

She didn't have time to thank him. She merely acted. The invisible blade sliced through another that would have stuck into Cassiel's chest.

"Theoretical?!" Cassiel asked as the pair were slowly pushed back by the whipping shadows.

Saber knew her Master was in no condition to continue this for very long. His battle with Berserker and Assassin had taken their toll on him.

She could see it in his movements. They were still blisteringly fast and coordinated, but not what they were earlier that night. Something was very wrong with him internally and he couldn't keep up this tempo of combat for much longer. A few minutes at most would be his limit.

"I have an idea! I need a few seconds!" She called, her deft movements covering for him more and more.

He growled as another ribbon found a hole in his defenses. "You have it, go!"

Saber leapt back and began the process of unfurling the winds that concealed her sword. It would only take a few seconds like she said, but more bright crimson was appearing on the deep blue of his armor. But he still wouldn't retreat.

Cassiel stood like a rock in the face of a hurricane. Each time he was struck, he was worn away just a little more, but he would not move under any circumstances.

No that was wrong.

He would move, but only forwards.

Blood ran into the grass as he took a pained step forwards with fire in his eyes and defiance on his face as he rasped out a mantra.

It wasn't just any mantra, by the way it sounded. Each word drove him further, even as he was being slowly worn down by the incessant blows. Had Saber been able to see his face she would have seen a face of pure defiance, never flinching from his mission.

"They shall be…"

Another step and a wide arc with his sword that cut through many tendrils.

"My finest warriors…"

He stumbled as a dozen blows went for him with him only intercepting half. He froze for a moment as pain coursed through him like magma in his veins.

No, it wasn't the pain.

Something was coursing through his body.

It felt as if he was on fire, as though someone had connected his blood vessels to pipes filled with steam.

"These men who give of themselves to me…"

The air kept howling as Saber collected more energy to send forth Invisible Air when Saber was awestruck as a Cassiel glowed. A pattern seemed to etch itself on his armor plate as he spoke something she could only barely hear over the gale.

"Like clay… I shall mould them… and in the furnace of war forge them…"

Something within him broke. Something that had long since been locked away. A dam cracked and then gave out.

Mana poured from him in amounts that even an experienced magus would be hard pressed to keep up for long. The shadow began to recoil from him, the sheer magical energy pushing it back.

The energy began to take shape around him in the form of 2 figures. They were roughly his size, though slightly shorter, and were clad in ebon armor that was cracked and seemed to hold magma back under the plate. Smoke rose from the pair, smoke of fire, hate, vengeance, and retribution.

The only differences between the two in color was the left shoulder pad and how they were armed. One was red with a blood drop adorned with wings with a pistol not unlike Cassiel's and a brutal looking toothed sword, the other was adorned with an ebon fist surrounded by a rich yellow and what seemed to be a rifle version of the former's pistol.

They formed completely and their eye lenses flowed from black to red. They leveled their guns and began hammering flaming shells into the shadow. The shadow wailed in pain as the flame wrought bullets struck it and exploded. It lashed out twice as violently as before and struck at the figure wielding the rifle, ripping its fragile corporeality apart. In an explosion of molten rock and the smell of sulphur the figures dissipated into the night air. The other moved around the whipping ribbons of darkness and with a roar, the wraith rasped out a battle cry.

"FOR… THE EMPEROR AND…. SANGUINIUS!"

It collided with the shadow with a savagery that rivaled Berserker. The sword and figure roared with the hellish sound of screaming metal and the tortured cries of a haunted soul.

The shadow sent a ribbon through the chest of the apparition, but it still struck down, its roars causing Saber to flinch as they struck into her soul. The shadow began to engulf the apparition, tearing it apart as it tore the shadow apart in turn. The apparition disappeared after one final swing of its sword.

However, the damage had been done. Smoking holes betrayed just how damaged it had been from the brief yet savage assault.

The winds reached a climax as the wind rivaled that of a hurricane. Saber charged forwards and leveled the blade, sending forth a vortex of wind so intense, the shadow was blown to pieces.

It seeped into the dirt and disappeared as it's scream of pain degenerated into a gurgle and then into silence.

She saw the blade of Excalibur for a moment as the sounds of the wind slowed until Invisible Air covered the blade yet again.

Saber inhaled and exhaled as silence greeted the clearing again. Until she heard a groan and a thud as Cassiel fell to one knee, fist in the dirt, and breathing heavily.

She gasped when she turned and saw the level of damage he had suffered. The royal blue was stained by sheets of bright scarlet that ran into the grass beneath him.

"Master!!!"

The blade disappeared and she rushed to Cassiel. He was pale as he seemed to be struggling to keep breathing. Sweat dropped from his brow and steam seemed to almost be rising from his exposed head. He looked up and she could see blood trailing from his nose and eyes. He was gasping for air and clutched at his chest as if something was going to burst forth. He groaned before vomiting blood.

He collapsed face first into the dirt.

XXXX

Cassiel saw white.

Bright, blinding light as the world coalesced around him. He was still in his armor, though it was pristine and shining, the gold catching the light, and the rich reds, whites, and blacks of his ornamentation standing in contrast to the blue of his armor.

When the world took shape what he saw made his eyes widen in surprise. He watched the scene before him and something ached in his chest when the faces of the figures before him focused. Cassiel looked around at the area around him and his heart ached even more as emotions he had either repressed or were psycho-indoctrinated into submission broke through to his psyche.

The world around him was familiar. Painfully familiar. It was green and full of life as birds chirped in the late afternoon sun, cicadas screamed their dirge from the trees, and a breeze caused the crops on the fields to rustle as the smell of wheat and other grains wafted into his nose.

"No… it can't be…" He managed after a moment before his attention fell back upon the eerily familiar figures. Something about the woman was incredibly nostalgic and saddening to him but he couldn't quite place it.

He saw a young boy that was covered in mud and being thoroughly chastised by an annoyed woman. The boy was no more than 5 Terran standard years old. He had raven black hair, emerald eyes, and a tanned complexion. He wore a plain pair of pants and a blue tunic that was hopelessly covered in filth. He couldn't meet the eyes of the woman as she bore down on him. She was young, in her mid twenties, and her face was already creased with the beginnings of cares. Her clothing consisted of a stained pair of coveralls, work boots, and a bandana around her head with her brown hair in a loose bun, everything about what both her and the child wore was more suited to utility than to anything involving fashion. Life was hard but rewarding on the growing world of Calth for the citizens of the Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar.

"I swear Anteus, if you remembered what I _told_ you half as well as what you _shouldn't _be doing, you would be accepted as a Remembrancer tomorrow."

He stared at his feet as his cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"But mama!"

She shot him a look that silenced him.

"No buts! I told you to leave the neighbor's old grox alone before it chases you into the lake!"

He lowered his face in shame again before he felt the warmth of her calloused hand pat the top of his head.

He looked up to a kind smile and bright emerald eyes.

"So will you bother that old grox again?"

He shook his head.

"Good. Now go wash up, dinner is almost ready. Papa should be home soon. You don't want him to come home to a mud monster do you?"

He shook his head again with an innocent smile before running off to wash the mud and lake water off. The woman striding behind him with an exasperated grin on her face. Try as she might, the little boy was utterly fearless and stubborn to a fault.

Anaiya Cassiel laughed to herself as the boy scurried off to the servitor that held a low pressure water hose. He yelped as the cold water washed the lake water, pond scum, and mud from him.

Cassiel nearly collapsed as the realization hit him and memories came flooding into his pounding skull. It was like water from a long blocked tap had finally been released as the coldness of grief went through him with more effect than any Aeldari shuriken.

"No… nonono. This can't be."

The scene faded. He knew what day that was because he could feel it in his bones. It was a trauma that had been driven deeply into his mind. He couldn't remember it, the process to become the weapon he was had long since purged the memories of his previous life, but he still had echoes. Scraps of a life that had been ripped away from him.

His vision cleared and it was night inside the… his home. His mother was watching outside with a look of horror upon her face. Cassiel moved to the window in a daze and his eyes spied a familiar sight.

Ships burning in orbit. Dozens of them.

He knew what that meant. Those bastards in the Word Bearers had made their move at last, but not even Lord Guilliman knew at that point. Nobody on the planet knew what horrors were about to befall them except for him. Anaiya Cassiel ran time get her son and make for the nearest safe zone in the fastest and most efficient way possible.

Cassiel felt nauseous as the scene faded again.

His confusion turned to anger as his hand went for the blade at his hip. This had to be a trick of the mind. Some foul warp trick to break through his mental barriers.

He would not break.

He was Adeptus Astartes Ultra, a Warden of Macragge, a loyal servant to Lord Guilliman and to the Emperor of Mankind.

He would not break.

"What manner of sorcery is this!? Where are you, you foul beast!?"

There was no answer as a new scene unfolded and his head pounded more as more and more memories flooded his mind.

It was days later and Cassiel could smell gun smoke, blood, and sweat. He was in the streets of a city now, a city marked by all manner of death. He walked through the shattered marble and annihilated bodies of mortal and transhuman alike. He spotted the grisly scene of a disemboweled Imperial Army trooper, his mouth agape as his dead eyes stared in abject horror at the sight of his innards being used to 'decorate' the street sign. Another scene was that of a dead Ultramarine surrounded by no less than five Word Bearers. Cassiel moved closer to see the markings of an officer on his long dead brother's armor. It was of the MK III pattern, but far more ornate in its décor and held the tell-tale signs of rank that had carried on into his own day. In his hand was an empty bolt pistol of the Tigris pattern and a Legatine pattern power axe in the other.

"Rest easy, brother. Where you fell, I shall stand. Courage and Honor."

He moved through the eerily silent city, his footsteps leaving no impression on the dust, blood, and shattered rockrete he walked through. The more he moved, the more of a sense of loss he felt.

This was Calth in its final hours. A bloody, horror filled charnel house where nightmares walked freely, and hope died in the screams of the innocent and warriors alike.

Cassiel continued until he spied a peculiar scene and moved closer on his numb legs to get a closer look.

Ahead he saw red power armor and his secondary heart began to beat in response as his body readied for combat that would never come. His fist tightened all the same as he saw the Red Devils that had ruined everything.

The Emperor's plan, His Gene-sire's dream, and humanity's salvation had all come crashing down because of this filth. These aborted Angels had caused all of the misfortune, death, and despair that left Guilliman melancholic as we went about arduous task of holding the Imperium together with the force of his own will.

Bitterly he thought of his own life and how different it would be had this weak-willed filth not fallen from grace as spectacularly as they had. He would never regret what he was and the duty he would perform, but there was always been a small part of him that wondered where he would be if the Heresy had never happened. Legionary service? Army service? Perhaps a station in Ultramar to bring the light of progress and learning to others?

He would never know.

Three Word Bearers space marines were facing down a woman. His mother with 'him' behind her petrified in fear.

They were at ease, wholly unimpressed by the sword in her hands that was held in an expert's grip with a laspistol in her off hand. What could a mere mortal do against demigods blessed by the dark gods?

They said as much themselves.

But his mother seemed unafraid in her own way. Her eyes were dilated as adrenaline coursed in her veins, but she seemed unafraid as three being that could be described as demigods jeered at her and did their best to strike fear into her.

She bared her teeth, unafraid, and whispered something he only just barely caught.

"Da mihi potestatem."

The next 5.09 seconds would be the most astounding thing he would witness in his entire life.

Green lines shot up her arms, legs, sword, and pistol and she rocketed forwards. The traitors, even with their superhuman reaction speeds didn't even have time to react, as she cleanly decapitated the leader of the group. Her face was a stoic scowl of anger as she faced the second traitor, his bolter coming up to blast away at the mortal.

She moved from his firing arc, leaping several meters into the air before aiming the laspistol at his face mask and firing.

The lasbeam didn't penetrate the traitor's face mask, but it did throw off the Word Bearer's aim enough for her to descend upon him like a hawk.

She dropped the laspistol and her arm covered in the outline of green glowed as she punched clean through the thin neck seal of his armor when she landed. She roared a primal war cry as she pulled and Cassiel could hear the sickening crack of Transhuman bones shattering. She pulled more and the traitor's head came off with a snap as she ripped his spinal column out with a feat of strength that even the strongest of mortals wouldn't have a hope of accomplishing without assistance.

She threw the sickening trophy at the remaining member of the party, catching the unhelmed marine in the face as he finally drew a bead upon her. She set upon him instantly, the sword going into his throat with a gurgle of pain.

She twisted the blade and the traitor gurgled in pain as whatever power his mother had possessed allowed her to overpower the mortally wounded marine.

He realized he knew how she had done this impossible feat. He knew those green lines, that feeling of power.

His mother was a magus.

This revelation struck him like a hammer as he realized the implications.

But the Word Bearer was a former member of the Legionnes Astartes and he would not die so easily or without spiting his killer.

The boltgun came up and aimed for 'him' and time froze as the trigger was pulled.

A single bolt shell left the muzzle as she finished cutting the space marine's head off and she could only watch as the rocket propelled bolt shell rocketed towards the still frozen child.

Cassiel subconsciously tightened his grip as certain death moved for the child as his mother tried in vain to reach him with her enhanced muscles.

The bolt was intercepted by a blue shoulder pad as a space marine of a different livery made their appearance known.

He was, of course, an Ultramarine outfitted in an ancient mark of armor Cassiel recognized as the MK IV Praetor pattern of armor that was unique to the Legion at the time. It was hardly pristine as it was covered in scorch marks, shrapnel damage, and signs of bolt shell impact, but the Marine seemed largely unharmed as the bolt ricocheted off his pauldron and exploded on the dirt. He stood and she as was able to see he was a Legion Apothecary, the white of the majority of his power armor and the narthecium injector making his profession apparent to her keen eyes.

The woman collapsed to her knees in relief at the fact that her son was saved from a messy death, but she was far from out of the woods. She looked up to see a gilded bolt pistol pointed at her face.

"What, in Guilliman's name, was that?" The Marine growled out of his vox grille.

The woman paled as the marine's finger tightened on the trigger, a warning not to try anything after he had witnessed her brazen assault.

She raised her hands in surrender. "M-my Lord, I can explain." She managed to stammer out as she panicked. She wasn't worried for her own life, a blind man could see that, she was worried for her child.

For him.

His chest ached for some reason again. It was unlike being stabbed or shot in the chest. Those had a sharper, more immediate pain.

No, this was a feeling of hollowness, of a deep-seated melancholy he hadn't had the ability to feel before.

"Then do so. Quickly." The Apothecary growled as he held the pistol in a steady hand.

The scene began to dissolve, and he heard a light voice that was indecipherable to even his hearing before he awoke. It was soft but powerful, the voice of a being that knew its own strength but chose kindness instead. It was motherly, in a way, and sad as well.

A kind of sad that only a mother who had lost a child could hope to convey.

He saw a familiar face smile at him. Familiar but different

Cassiel bolted upright, ready for combat, and severely surprised the figure of Saber as she sat next to him with a wet and bloody cloth. He took but a moment to take in the room around him and relaxed when he saw he was back at the Emiya estate. As his mind and body wound down from combat ready to a state of rest, he saw the worried, yet relieved look Saber had on her face.

"Master? Are you well?" She finally asked as he remained silent, not knowing the turmoil that currently racked his mind.

"No… no I'm not." He grumbled quietly as he looked over the bloody bandages that covered his body.

"Master?" She asked again, not hearing him.

"I am about as well as to be expected. I apologize for any trouble I caused you in getting me here."

He paused, looking at the armor that had been piled neatly in the corner by the Servant.

No, that term bothered him now for some reason.

By his comrade.

"And thank you." He nodded to her as the thought of her lugging his inert form through the streets making him feel guilty.

She flushed at the praise and shook her head.

"It's only natural for a Servant to save their master."

His face stiffened at that, but he held his tongue for the moment. He didn't want to seem ungrateful.

Her gaze turned to a stern one as she made sure he was no longer in mortal danger.

"Master, why did you waste a command spell like that?" She asked, he temper betraying her normally serene features.

He shot her a quizzical look and she sighed before taking his hand and showing him how the blade had faded from the sword tattoo on his hand.

He gestured for her to continue.

"Did the priest not tell you of how important these spells are?"

His mind shot back to the choking priest.

_Damn._

"Err…No. He didn't."

Saber sighed again and slouched before her stress and annoyance came bursting out.

"Master, these three command spells are extremely valuable. They are what bind us into this contract, and they double as orders that cannot be disobeyed. They must not be used… frivolously."

He blinked.

"I see."

XXXX

Hours passed as Cassiel sat cross legged in the outbuilding. His battered body protested any activity other than breathing, so he thought on his most recent engagements. He went over each detail and action Berserker, Assassin, and the shadow made. It was clear that Berserker would outclass him in brute strength and it still had a keen mind despite its inherent madness. Assassin underestimated him heavily, but if it could catch Cassiel off guard, it may prove troublesome but nothing he couldn't handle. The poisons the servant used, while esoteric and would likely be deadly to a baseline human, stood powerless against his superhuman biology.

Then his thoughts turned to himself.

He could only describe his recent performance as lacking by his standards. He had acted rashly when facing Berserker, fighting it head on would only get him killed and that was apparent from the beginning. Logically, he should have sent the bastard to the warp with his vortex grenade and been done with it.

But.

His mind flashed to Saber and Shirou. Should they witness the naked warp there's no guarantee even a Heroic Spirit would come away unscathed.

Even he would be left a gibbering madman if he stared into that damned unreality.

Then he looked at his own hand. During the battle, something had awoken within him. He had no idea what it had been, but as a result of it his body felt odd. There was a noticeable feeling of numbness in some parts of his body while other felt like someone had dumped acid into his veins. He had seen the Damned Legionnaires manifest before and while they unsettled him, their help was always welcome.

However.

He felt he recognized them.

In his two centuries of service to mankind he had met and fought with many Brothers and Cousins of both the Primaris and First Generation of Astartes. He had also laid many of them to rest in the pyres of sacrifice to guard humanity from the wolves at the door and he seldom forgot a face when they had fought and bled together.

This was a byproduct of his genetic modification and a natural eidetic memory that was equal parts blessing a curse.

His hand closed into a fist.

Then there was the daemon. He had lost his head and he knew it. His anger at that enemy was a primal one that was deeply ingrained into his psyche. He wasn't at his best and should have let Saber take the lead with his support. But he wanted that thing dead.

He wanted to pull it apart and cast its dissolving corpse into the ether.

And then he remembered the look on Saber's face when she had tackled him out of harm's way. The way her eyes lingered on the sword.

Something about that look bothered him and he didn't know why. He normally would have left it at the apology he gave afterwards, but now that look of concern and a little fear nagged at the back of his head.

But why?

He had never exactly been callous to the fear and death he left in his wake, but he had never felt guilt for it. He was what he was. An Angel of Death. A force of vengeance upon those who would try to snuff out humanity's light among the stars.

But ever since he had awoken from that…vision. The world looked different to him. He was still thinking in the ways he always had, theoreticals and practicals, but he had noticed he had a sense of curiosity towards things he had never noticed before.

Colors seemed more vibrant. He was no longer actively listening for threats, but for the various noises the quiet neighborhood made in the night during winter.

A vidscreen left on through the night.

A music player playing music as the owner sang along with a listless voice.

He felt… what did he feel?

Unshackled?

Like his eyes had been opened?

He bit his lip in irritation as a twinge of pain shot through his midsection.

"Damn it all." He cursed.

"Master?" He heard Saber call from the now open door to the frigid outside. He hadn't heard her enter.

Another mistake.

She came over to him with pair of teacups that Shirou had prepared before retiring for the night. He didn't need his enhanced sense of smell to catch the sweet fragrance of lightly sweetened green tea with a bit of citrus fruit.

"My apologies. I am… frustrated."

She smiled kindly and sat across from him before handing over one of the cups.

When she looked up to him, her face had become deathly serious. He could spy the regal bearing of royalty in her features. Whoever she was, she had been high ranking nobility, and was worthy of the title.

Perhaps a queen?

She wouldn't be out of place ruling a Questor Imperialis world and his mind briefly cut to her piloting one of the giant mechanical angels.

The sight of her piloting a Knight Castigator seemed fitting to his mind as he envisioned her carving through hordes of gribbling monsters with the dual bolt cannon running hot while the huge Tempest war blade made short work of anything less than a Warhound Titan.

Very fitting indeed.

"Master. What manner of magecraft was that?"

His gaze never faltered before he blinked and sighed as his features slumped. He had hoped she could tell him what had happened.

"Honestly? I haven't the slightest clue. Nothing like that has happened to me in my entire life. I was hoping you could tell me."

He sipped the tea before continuing.

"Saber. My kind have long lives, provided we aren't killed, and never once in my two centuries of life have I done that or anything like that."

He sipped the tea again, the ceramic cup creaking with his ever-tightening grip. She looked at him in surprise at the length of his lifespan.

Physically, he didn't look much more than thirty if he were a standard human.

"That is what concerns me."

The cup broke, the shattered pieces of ceramic digging into his palm and drawing more blood.

She remained silent as he continued, his frustrations and worries making themselves known.

Cassiel knew no fear, but he did know doubt and he did know worry. In this time there was no system of support for him if he turned out to be a latent Psyker, no way to guard his mind from the predations of the warp besides his own will. And while it was considerable, it was akin to going swimming in a lake full of predatory creatures with a cut on one's leg. Had he been with the chapter, he could even seek counsel from Gallus until he was able to confirm his curse with Chief Librarian Tigurius and be welcomed in the Librarius.

But here?

Sure, it was rumored the Emperor was on the planet, but he was moving in secret and biding his time.

So that left him all alone on, for all intents and purposes, a foreign world. None of his brothers to allay his doubts, none of his Chaplains to help him remain on the correct path, and none of his fellow captains or his lieutenants to offer counsel to him.

"Master?" Saber spoke upon seeing the darkness come over his features.

That snapped Cassiel back to reality.

"Sorry. I was thinking too deeply." He released the nigh on powdered fragments of the cup and allowed them to fall to the floor. He could clean it in a moment.

Saber nodded and continued before Cassiel could start.

"Master, I must implore you to never take a risk such as that again. I don't know who you are truly, but even if you may hold your own against servants…"

Nothing more need be said with the bloodstained bandages wrapped around his body. He was still nominally combat effective, but he had suffered more damage over the course of two days than he had in a week of combat against Traitor Marines. It was clear to him that he could not simply push through with a stubborn personality. That was best left for Dorn's sons.

He sighed and raised a hand in surrender.

"I understand your wishes, and I cannot abide by them… however." He added before the inevitable lecture came so he could explain himself.

"I am a warrior. I cannot stand idly by as another fights for me, but I have no reservations with sharing the field of battle with a comrade. These are my terms."

The blonde-haired woman looked like she wanted to say something as she glared at him. He met her gaze without a flinch and she eventually sighed, sensing there would be no further progress made.

He couldn't help but smirk as the look of annoyance many a Brother-Sergeant had given him was mirrored on her features. The tension left the room a little as Saber told of how she had all but dragged him back. She was more than strong enough to lift his inert body, armor and all, the several kilometers back to the estate, but she admitted his sheer size had given her some trouble due to him nearly being twice her size. She then went into how they had somehow removed his armor before Saber went quiet for a moment, as if something was bothering her.

"Master… I do have more questions." Saber stated again as her gaze lingered on the various input sockets from his black carapace for his power armor.

He sighed.

"Very well. I do owe you a debt, it seems."


End file.
